Beetroot brownies

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Beetroot brownies

I had bought beetroot with the intention of shredding them and eating them raw in a salad. And then… they sat in the pantry for a while. After a certain amount of time had passed (and I’m too ashamed to tell you exactly how long) the thought of eating them raw was, well, not good.

What to do, what to do.

And then I had a brilliant thought – brownies! Because that’s a logical next step isn’t it? Salad ——> brownies.


Beetroot brownies

I have made a chocolate beetroot cake before and loved it, but for some reason felt like brownies this time. It’s all pretty straight forward – microwaving the beetroot meant I didn’t have to dirty a pot and then it’s just a matter of whizzing chocolate and butter with the cooked beetroot and beating together eggs and sugar. I used a whole block of 70% dark chocolate which meant that my brownies weren’t very sweet, with a strong chocolate hit.

They tasted better after they had completely cooled and were actually nicer a day or two after I baked them. They have a soft but dense texture and while they’re not like a rich, gooey brownie, they are quite nice in their own right.

Beetroot brownies

But. You have to like beetroot because you can still taste the beetroot in them (although less so if you eat them when they’re completely cold).

I’d say don’t buy beetroot specifically for this recipe. If you haven’t made it before, I’d recommend the Nigel Slater chocolate beetroot cake though that is slightly more complicated (only slightly though).

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Beetroot brownies

Rating: 31

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: Makes 15-20

Beetroot brownies

Ingredients

  • 500g whole raw beetroot (about 3-4 medium beetroots)
  • 100g unsalted butter, cubed
  • 200g dark chocolate (the darker the better in my opinion)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 250g caster sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 100g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 25g cocoa powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a 20x30cm rectangle baking tin with baking paper.
  2. Cut the tops and tails off the beetroot and peel them.
  3. Chop the beetroot roughly into medium chunks and put them in a microwave proof bowl.
  4. Add a generous splash of water and microwave on high for about 12 minutes or until the flesh is tender. (You can cook them in water on the stovetop if you prefer.)
  5. Drain the beetroot.
  6. Break the chocolate into small pieces and place into a food processor with the butter and hot beetroot.
  7. Process the mixture until it's as smooth as possible. The chocolate and butter should melt/
  8. Beat the sugar and eggs together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until it's thick and pale.
  9. Add the beetroot mixture and fold it in with a large metal spoon.
  10. Sift in the flour, baking powder and cocoa and fold in to just combine.
  11. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
  12. Allow to cool in the tin then remove and cut into squares.

Notes

Adapted from BBC Good Food

https://www.offthespork.com/2013/07/beetroot-brownies/