Chocolate Beetroot Brownies
Beetroot is such a lush vegetable with its bright and vibrant colour that lends a whole new personality to any dish it finds itself in. While a lot of us enjoy the delightful beetroot, there are also those of us who merely just put up with it for nutrient value. But what if you could find a way truly enjoy it? Can you really have your cake, and eat it too? Roasted beetroot within a chocolate base with chocolate bits and a chocolate topping is not just purely divine, but also takes the idea of a healthy brownie to a whole other level. If you think I'm pulling your leg, you’ve definitely got to try this!
Ingredients
For the roast beetroot
1 cup beetroot, diced
Drizzle of olive oil
For the flour mix
1 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup white spelt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
For the wet mix
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup olive oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup almond milk
Add-ins
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup dark chocolate, chopped
For the topping
90g dark chocolate, melted
Method of Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C fan.
Toss the beetroot with a drizzle of olive oil and transfer to a lined baking tray. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and allow it to cool.
Mix all the ingredients for the flour mix in a bowl, and set aside.
Once cooled, add the roast beetroot + all the ingredients for the wet mix to a food processor and blend well. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Fold in the flour mix gently till it comes together. Then fold in the add-ins. Transfer to a lined brownie tin. Bake at 180°C for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Melt the chocolate for the topping in a double boiler. Once the brownie base has cooled, top with a generous helping of melted chocolate and spread evenly. Transfer to the fridge for ~1 hour till the chocolate sets. Cut into squares, and store in an airtight box.
Enjoy as is, any time of day. If you’d like to take it up a notch, serve warm with some vanilla ice cream!