Flourless Black Bean Brownies

Happy Monday! I love love love brownies and I will be the first to admit that I was skeptical of a flourless brownie, especially one that has black beans inside but boy was I proven wrong. My husband said these were one of the best brownies I have ever made because they were so moist and fudgy...not too bad for brownies made with beans! I had my 3 year old helper in the kitchen, so this is a very kid friendly and novice chef recipe to make since everything gets put into the blender. It was a treat for her to have a brownie but one that we didn't feel too guilty about letting her eat since it is full of beans. These are a great option for anyone that is gluten free, or for those that celebrate Passover.

Flourless Black Bean Brownies
Yields: 16
Source: Skinnytaste

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz) canned low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon oil
1 Tablespoon unsweetened almond milk (or dairy, skim)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground coffee or instant coffee
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Grease a nonstick 9 x 9-inch square baking pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.

Blend the black beans, eggs, cocoa powder, sugar, oil, almond milk, balsamic, baking soda, baking powder and coffee in the blender until smooth and pour into a bowl.

Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips until combined.

Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips evenly over the top of the brownies.

Bake the brownies until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 to 32 minutes. Allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing them into squares.

Maple Banana Muffins

We bought bananas at Costco last week and weren't able to use them all before they became over ripe. Instead of throwing them away I whipped up these easy muffins that were devoured by my girls. The original recipe called for crushed pecans on top, but my daughters go to a nut free camp, so I omitted them. The muffins came out nice and moist, but not too sweet. These are perfect for breakfast or snacks. I am gearing up to make another batch for camp this week! I like to make muffins instead of banana bread because it is easier to freeze and defrost a few muffins at a time instead cutting up an entire loaf.

Maple Banana Muffins
Source: Skinnytaste
Yields: 12

Ingredients:

3 medium very ripe bananas

1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup maple sugar (or brown sugar)

2 large egg whites

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 Tbsp unsweetened apple sauce

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a cupcake tin with liners.

Mash bananas in a bowl, set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream butter and 1/4 cup maple sugar with an electric mixer. Add egg whites, mashed bananas, maple syrup, apple sauce and vanilla; beat at medium speed until mixed well, scraping down sides of the bowl.

Add flour mixture, then blend at a low speed until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin.

Bake the muffins on the center rack for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

These days, our version of entertaining is hosting a playdate, so I use it as an excuse to try a fun recipe. For summer I combined two favorites, cupcakes and ice cream cones! My 3 year old helped me make them and her friends couldn't get enough of them, faces covered in icing is definitely a good sign. These can be made festive with sprinkles in colors for holidays if you want and all different flavor cake and icing combinations. Impress your family and friends with these at your next BBQ!

To help the cupcakes stand up while baking I covered the cupcake tin with foil and cut Xs out over the muffin cup. Another tip is that when you remove the cooked cupcakes, poke a tiny hole in the bottom of the cone to allow the steam to escape and prevent the cones from getting soggy.

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
Yields: 12-15

Ingredients:
1 box cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 Boxes ice cream cones
2 containers icing

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F

Prepare muffin pan with foil and fill with ice cream cones. Follow directions of cake mix to combine ingredients. Fill cones 3/4 of the way.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked all the way through. They will take longer than the box directions since cones are deeper than standard muffin.

Let cool then put icing in a piping bag and swirl to look like soft serve ice cream and decorate.