Black beans & brownies

I had a huge dilemma the other day. I really wanted a brownie sundae and had the ice cream, but no brownies. I really had to weigh my options and think the situation through. Should I buy a box mix, preferably a cheapy one and use that? Or should I make them from scratch? Or should I go back to school and get my masters, move to a less expensive city, fix up an arts and crafts style bungalow and get a dog? In the end I decided to give this brownie recipe from one of my issues of Martha Stewart Everyday Food a try. Black beans keep the brownies super moist and slightly less bad for you. If instead of making brownies, I had gotten certified for teaching, I would give them an A+.

You’ll need:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup black beans, rinsed, drained, and mashed with a fork until smooth

(on the site it suggests pureeing the beans in a food processor, but I found it was tough to do with such a small amount)

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (1/3 cup)

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg white

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter or grease a 9-inch square baking pan (I used an 8-inch} and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, bean puree, and chocolates and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Use an oven mitt or dishrag to take the bowl out of the oven when you’re checking it-the bowl will be hot! Whisk in sugar, eggs and egg white, and vanilla until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir into chocolate mixture until just combined. Pour batter into pan; smooth top. Bake until top is cracked and a toothpick inserted in center has moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes (center will seem undercooked but will set further as it cools). I baked mine for about 28 or 29 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Using parchment, lift brownie from pan and cut into squares.