Gluten Free Vegan Protein Rich Chocolate Chip Blondies

        Do you have a sweet tooth? I do!  In fact, I would gladly skip any meal just to have dessert.  

     Since I decided to make our family's meals and treats a lot healthier this new year, I'm now focused on creating recipes that are sneakily filled with good for you ingredients.  To get the ball rolling, I am sharing with you this very easy recipe for our favorite Chocolate Chip Blondies.  

        Unlike the traditional ones, these blondies don't contain any butter or shortening, eggs or even gluten.  The beans make it creamy and delectable.  Flax seeds not only binds it together, it also provides Omega 3's and fiber.  Speaking for fiber, have you heard of Tigernuts?  Tigernuts, contrary to its name is not a nut but a small root vegetable native to Africa.  It is the #1 source of Resistant Starch, a Prebiotic fiber that resists human digestion and becomes fuel for our bodies natural Probiotic bacteria.   The flour I used in this recipe is made with Tigernuts which has a sweet and nutty flavor. 

          Are the ingredients making you scared?  Don't be!  These have been used by people outside the US for ages.  Plus the end result is surprisingly divine.  Just ask my four tough critics.  The best part is that, I don't have to be guilty about having a piece or two.  Oh, and these are also great for the kids' lunch box dessert.  

            Ready to try something new?  Then give these blondies are try.  Don't forget to let me know how it turned out too. 

             Have a great week!

- Roz

Ingredients:

1 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed well
1 cup organic raw cane sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbs. flax meal (ground flax seed)
6 Tbs. lukewarm water
1/4 cup avocado oil
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Himalayan Pink Sea Salt (coarse ground)
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup Organic Gemini TigerNut Flour
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels  )

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper.
3. Make a flax goo by combining water and flax meal. Set aside for at least 5 minutes before using.
4. In a blender or food processor, add the beans, sugar, vanilla, flour, baking powder, oil, nutmeg and flax goo.  Blend or process until smooth.
5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan.  Top with chocolate chips.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the sea salt on top.
8. Let the blondies cool in the pan before slicing.
9. Enjoy!

(Note:  This post contains affiliate links for the ingredients I used in this recipe. Please see my full disclosure here.)

The Quest for a GEDS free Brownie Part 2 - Simply Organic

 

       It's Thursday again and here I am sharing with you my search for a delicious gluten free, egg free, dairy free and soy free Brownie.  This week, I tried another brownie mix I picked from my shopping expedition at Stop&Shop. 

 

       At first, I was a bit hesitant to try this. It's $4.39 a box, not on sale and the mix still needs 2 large eggs.  After a few minutes of back and forth holding and returning to the shelf, I finally gave in and put it in the cart. The "please mom" look from 2 small boys sealed the deal.

 

      The day came to try this brownie mix.  Again I followed the directions to the dot.  With my big mixing bowl and trusted wooden spoon, I slowly added the prepared egg replacement and melted butter.  Since no electric mixer required, I carefully folded the ingredients making sure not to overmix. As the batter come together, it became really thick and gooey. Spreading the batter evenly to fit the greased pan was a big challenge.  After a few minutes of patting down, the super thick goo went to the oven.

 

        Waiting for the brownies to bake seems like eternity.  I've been looking at the glass oven door every 4 minutes or so to make sure that I don't burn it.  Finally, the sweet sound of the alarm went off.  Top looks good and the sides aren't burnt.  Just by it's looks, I thought, I was able to come up with the best GEDS free brownie. (Fingers crossed)

 

        When the pan of brownies finally came to room temperature, it was time to start phase two which is cutting.  My plastic knife went through the brownies wonderfully.  Yes, I always use a plastic knife to cut bars because nothing sticks to it and the cuts are clean.  Wow! These really looks like real brownies!!! The top has a shiny, crackled finish and the middle has a soft moist cakelike structure.  It also holds it's shape well. Not bad eh?

 

       Here's the final test - Taste.  What can I say? Looks are deceiving! The brownies didn't have the chocolate flavor I was hoping for.  Actually, there's not much flavor at all. It was so bland.  Not a hint of cocoa or vanilla.  It even needs some sugar. Plus, these brownies have a grainy feel that sticks to the tongue. Unappealing.

 

       My kids did ate them but they kept on asking me to make the "Blakie brownie" next time.  They said that even if the "Blackie" is very gooey and sticky, it tastes so good.  Way better than this batch.  Who am I to argue right?

 

        So the verdict is, these Cocoa Brownies from Simply Organic have the good looks of a real brownie but the taste is just not there. I even went online check the reviews for this product and yes, we all agree that this mix is not a keeper. Some of the reviewers even used the 2 eggs the recipe called for. Oh well... the GEDS free Brownie Quest continues.... See you next week.

 

-Roz

                       

 

 

The Quest for GEDS Free Brownies Part 1

 

       It's that time of the year.  Halloween, school bake sales and even birthday parties are fast approaching.  You know what that means right?  Cupcakes, cookies, brownies and candies will be the talk of the town.  So what's a Frugalista Gluten, Egg, Dairy and Soy Free mom got to do?  So far, there are two options I am considering. 1. Say NO to every event and hide my kids inside the house. 2. Challenge myself and make the above mentioned treats only now GEDS free.

 

      Though the first option seems to be the easier thing to do, I think my children will appreciate it if I choose the later. Okay ladies, I am not running for any "Mother of the Year" award here. I simply want my children's transition to their new diet as easy as possible.  How hard will it be to make a  GEDS free Brownie anyway? I may not be a trained pastry chef but with more than 10 years of baking from scratch almost every week plus some catering in between, I'd say, I should be confident in my skills right? 

 

      For starters, I decided to try some ready made brownie mix. Hmmm.. I'm seeing some eyebrows raised here. Why would a self professed baker use something out of the box? Well, it is because right now, my food budget prohibits me from buying all the different types of flour most recipe books require me to have. Since specialty items are crazy expensive, I invested on the most basic such as egg replacement powder,  xantham gum and magarine (dairy and soy free).

 

      While shopping at Wegman's last weekend, I came across this Double Chocolate Brownie Mix.  At $3.49 a box that makes an 8x8 inch batch, I think, it will not hurt to try it.  After all, it's half the price of the All Purpose Baking flour that still requires extra pricey additions.

 

 

         I made these brownies last Monday. There were extra steps such as melting the included chocolate chips and beating the eggs with a mixer. Nothing complicated. The instructions were clear and so easy to follow. Instead of the required 2 eggs and butter, I used the egg replacement (prepared according to the package instructions) and the nondairy, soy free magarine. The batter looked good and had the consistency of a regular brownie batter.

 

         After about 15 mins, my kitchen smelled great.  I was so excited how these will turn out. Oven timer sounded off at the minimum baking time and when I checked, the sides seem to be done but the middle isn't firm enough.  I kept on checking until the maximum baking time.  Since the toothpick test isn't the best indication of doneness according to the package, I decided to take it out right after the timer went off the second time.  The center looks set and perfect but the sides are in the borderline of getting burned. 

 

        Now the verdict.  The brownies looked darker that the regular brownies and they are not burnt.  It didn't have the cakelike texture and can't hold it's shaped when cut.  It's very gooey and chewy just like a japanese mochi or rice cake.  A little greasy or oily too.  The taste however, is phenominal.  Not too sweet and full of chocolate goodness.  It passed the kids' taste test with flying colors.  In our home, flavor is much more important than looks.

 

        Technically, this treat didn't look anything like a brownie, so my children started calling it the "Blackie".  It was devoured within an hour and they actually asked me to make it again which is a good sign. For now, I would say this Wegman's brownie mix will have a place in my pantry.  It will take a few more alterations aesthetic wise but as for the taste, it is a keeper.

    



 

 

      Wow! I just realized that making a GEDS free brownie is not as easy as a regular one.  Even for a boxed mix, it can be complicated.  So here I am in a quest to find an affordable and delicious brownie so that my children will not feel deprived and actually enjoy as a treat. 

 

      Today, I have decided to make a batch of brownies weekly and post it every Thursday.  I definitely need your help in this quest  - your IDEAS that is.  If you have a go-to brand of brownie mix or a favorite recipe you'd like to share, please let me know at thefrugalistamom@gmail.com. Just make sure that it is Gluten, Egg, Dairy and Soy free.  I'm sure there's a group out there waiting for to make that coveted dessert. 

   

       Hope to hear from you soon.

 

 

- Roz