A Modern Approach to Brownies

When I can I like to update baking recipes and boost their nutrition. I came across a black bean brownie recipe in a cookbook recently, and tinkered with it, creating a brownie that is delicious as well as gluten and dairy free. You really can not taste the beans at all!

2 ounces unsweetened (or dark) chocolate
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup cooked black beans, well-drained and at room temperature (canned are fine)
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup peanut flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (most brands are gluten free -- check the label)
1 cup chopped nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, or pecans (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil an 8x8 baking dish with coconut oil.
2. Add the chocolate and coconut oil to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave about 2 minutes until the chocolate is melted. Stir to combine and set aside to cool.
3. When the chocolate/coconut mixture is cooled (can still be warm, just not hot), place the mixture in the work bowl of a food processor, along with the black beans, sugar, eggs, peanut flour, vanilla, and salt. Process until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into the baking dish and bake about 25 minutes. They are done when the center is set (not wiggly) and the edges pull away from the pan slightly. Allow them to cool completely before cutting.


  

Crispy kale

A few months back our friend David served us crispy kale as a pre-dinner munch. I'd had it before (at David's house no less) but somehow this time I fell in love. The salty crunch! Yet still healthy! It's since become a staple in our house.

Once I started making crispy kale at home I made one change from David's recipe, substituting Vulcan's fire salt for plain sea salt. This spicy salt blend gives the kale a serious kick! If I could figure out how to keep the kale crunchy I would serve it as a bloody mary garnish....

Three important details: do not let the kale bake until brown, because it'll be bitter. Stop when the color is deep green. Start with flat rather than curly kale -- the flat crunches better. Lastly, make sure the kale is completely dry before you oil and salt it.

Crispy kale
1 bunch lacinato kale (also known as dinosaur or tuscon kale) washed and completely dry

2 tablespoons olive oil

about 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or Vulcan's fire salt (available from the Spice House)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone sheets.

2. Pull the tough part off each stem of kale -- this usually results in a piece that resembles a salmon steak, just barely attached at the top. Cover each baking sheet in a single layer of kale, without excess crowding. With a pastry brush, lightly coat each kale leaf with olive oil. Then sprinkle with salt, sparingly, or they will be too salty.

3. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until the kale is dry and crunchy, but still olive green and glossy. Allow to cool or eat immediately.

Serves: 2-4 as a starter or side

Biscotti (two ways) for the cookie jar

A few weeks ago my son picked a few volumes of the Cook's Illustrated annual compendiums from the bookshelf, and asked to make one sweet thing from each year. We started at random with year 1994 and I was immediately drawn to biscotti.

Back when I worked at a cooking school more than 15 years ago, biscotti was one of the first baked goods students tackled. It is an incredibly easy and forgiving cookie, fast to make and long keeping. They pack well for hikes or lunches and because of some ethereal cache, are perfectly acceptable to munch all day long, from breakfast with coffee to a late night snack with wine.

The Cook's Illustrated recipe states: "the most flavorful biscotti are made with a small amount of fat," and although everyone in the family liked the flavor of this batch of biscotti, they were not really crunchy. The texture reminded me of Stella Dorro breakfast treats; perhaps this is a false memory, as I actually don't know if I ever ate a breakfast treat and if they are still made I don't care to sample them (ah the stubborn mule of memory). Anyway, the Cook's Illustrated biscotti was interesting and made me search through more cookbooks for other options.

The second try came from Dorie Greenspan's "Baking from My Home to Yours." This batch of biscotti, while not quite as easy to make as the ones from Cook's Illustrated, have a more-traditional crunch thanks to the inclusion of butter.

In the end I tweaked both recipes, and they are each enjoyable in their own way. If you want to bake with your kids, note that the first recipe below does not require any electric mixing -- perfect for smaller kids with the yen to make something tasty.

Honey-Nut Biscotti

(adapted from Cook's Illustrated January/February 1994)

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup peanut flour (or white whole wheat flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons honey (use the best you have)

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Sift flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
3. Whisk together the sugar, honey, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and combined.

4. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir to mix. Stir in nuts.

5. Dump the batter out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. With your hands, shape the batter into a long flat log. It should be about 10 inches long, 4 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches tall, but don't worry too much about the dimensions.

6. Bake about 35-40 minutes, or until the top is light golden brown and beginning to crack.

7. Remove from the oven and sit the pan aside for about 10-15 minutes (leave the oven on). Carefully move the log onto a cutting board (if it seems fragile when you attempt to move it, let it cool on the baking sheet another 15 minutes), and with a serrated knife, slice the log into about 12 pieces (if you cut them on a bias they will be longer; straight across they will be shorter). The end stubs make good cook's treats. Return the slices to the baking sheet and bake about 15 minutes more, turning once. They should be golden brown across their tops and edges.

8. Allow to cool completely before storing.

Makes about 12

Cinnamon Macadamia Biscotti

(adapted from Dorie Greenspan's "Baking from My Home to Yours")

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup peanut flour (or fine cornmeal, coconut flour, or white whole wheat flour)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 stick (4 ounces) butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

3. With a stand or hand mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Mix until fluffy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and mix again until combined. Then comes the vanilla, which just needs a quick spin. Dump in the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Lastly, add the nuts and mix for a few seconds.

4. Move the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. With your hands, shape the batter into a long flat log. It should be about 10 inches long, 4 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches tall, but don't worry too much about the dimensions.

5. Bake about 35-40 minutes, or until the top is light golden brown and beginning to crack.

6. Remove from the oven and sit the pan aside for about 10-15 minutes (leave the oven on). Carefully move the log onto a cutting board (if it seems fragile when you attempt to move it, let it cool on the baking sheet another 15 minutes), and with a serrated knife, slice the log into about 12 pieces (if you cut them on a bias they will be longer; straight across they will be shorter). The end stubs make good cook's treats. Return the slices to the baking sheet and bake about 15 minutes more, turning once. They should be golden brown across their tops and edges.

7. Allow to cool completely before storing.

Makes about 12

Note: both versions can be made nut-free by swapping the nut flour for almost any other kind of flour (such as all purpose, cornmeal, or whole wheat) and by omitting the nuts.

Inspiration on a sleepless night

The whole family had a bad night of sleep recently, and while I was trying to get back to sleep around 3 am, I had a dinner idea. I read about mushrooms and cream cheese in one of my recent literary travels although I can't remember where. We had beets in the fridge and I snatched up the other ingredients in a whirlwind Trader's Joe's stop.

The sandwich is built around portobello mushrooms. I love them for their beefy texture and capacity to soak up flavors. Pairing the mushrooms with herbed cheese and beets and stuffing the mixture between two slices of ciabatta seemed like a good idea for a weeknight supper.

I executed the dish in a pedestrian manner than truly would have gotten me kicked off Top Chef or Chopped. Piling the cheese and beets into the mushroom cup made the sandwich cumbersome to eat. Still, not a bad recipe from the middle of the night. Here it is, in an improved form.

Portobello and beet sandwiches

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs (tarragon and/or parsley are nice)

juice of one lemon

1/4 teaspoon salt

a few grinds black pepper

2 portobello mushrooms, stems removed

4 medium-small beets roasted or boiled, then peeled and sliced into thin rounds

4 tablespoons herbed cheese (I used Boursin; goat cheese would also be good)

a few pieces of arugula or other greens.

1/2 loaf ciabatta or other fresh bread, halved

1) In a glass bowl or plastic container, combine the olive oil, mustard, herbs, lemon, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine and add the mushrooms. Tilt the mushrooms so they get glossed with the marinade. Set aside at room temperature for an hour, or overnight in the fridge.

2) Preheat the broiler. Remove the mushrooms from the marinade and broil, cap side up, about 6 minutes, or until slightly browned. Flip them over and drizzle the marinade into the cup part of the mushrooms. Broil 5 minutes more, or until the mushrooms are sizzling and brown, but not burned. Carefully remove them and drain the mushroom juices onto two of the bread slices.

3) Spread the herbed cheese on the dry segments of the bread halves. Slice the mushrooms and place on the bread. Top with the beets and lettuce.

Serves 2