I made the most delicious root veg chocolate brownies at a Christmas market this weekend… and everyone loved them…even before I mentioned how healthy they are. I used chestnut and tiger nut flour. This gives the brownies a subtly sweet flavour and a lovely gooey texture. The dates and coconut sugar serve as the low glycemic sweetener. There’s also great fun in using whatever leftover roasted root veggies you have in the fridge! I’m partial to sweet potatoes as they’re loaded with anti-oxidants, but parsnips, roasted pumpkin bits, even butternut would work. And if you use beetroot, then you’ll add a lovely pinkish hue. Happy baking!
For the Brownies
– 200g leftover roasted root vegetables (either sweet potato, pumkin, parsnip, beetroot)
– 1 tbsp coconut oil
– 100g medjool dates
– 120g ground almonds
– 100g chestnut flour
– 100g tigernut flour
– 4 tbsp of raw cacao
– 1 tbsp carob powder
– 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
– 2 tbsp coconut sugar
– a pinch of himalayan salt
For the Ganache
– 1 tbsp cashew butter
– 1 tbsp almond butter
– 1 tbsp raw honey/maple syrup
– 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
– 2 tbsp coconut oil
Method:
Preheat the oven to 170C (325F). Peel the sweet potato (or any root vegetable) and cut into quarters. On a baking tray, mix the vegetables and 1 tbsp coconut oil (use more oil if needed). Roast for approximately 30 minute, checking halfway through. When the vegetables are ready a skewer will insert easily. Remove from the oven and add to a food processor with pitted dates. Blend until completely smooth. In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients, ground almonds, chestnut four, tigernut flour, raw cacao, carob, vanilla, coconut sugar and salt. Add to the date and sweet potato mix. Add the oil and mix well. Pour the mix into a prepared baking tin 20x20cm (8×8 inch) and bake for for 20 – 30 min. While the brownies are cooking make the ganache by mixing all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Place the ganache in the fridge to firm up. Brownies are ready when they are light but firm to touch. Leave tocool completely before icing, otherwise your ganache will melt! Stir the ganache lightly and and spread over the cooled brownies. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes:
Tigernut and Chestnut flour can be replaced with other gluten free flours such as buckwheat, rice, gram, oat flour or basically anything.
If you don’t have carob powder, you could substitute with another tbsp of cacao powder.
Enjoy!
