When I was a wee squirt of a girl I HATED beetroot, I thought
They.Were.The.Pits…. along with the noted and certified child hater brussel sprouts,
I would not touch the things……alas time has passed and I hear my former self
heaving with horror as I regularly tuck in to those delicious scarlet and
emerald gems without a care for my scouring and disgusted inner teen.
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I had a hoard of beetroot left over from last week, we were
out all weekend so I didn’t get the chance to shove them in a roasting tin with
a rib of beef and I’m certainly not one to rebel against tradition and have a
roast on any other day then a Sunday…….so, come Tuesday my little basket of
crimson baubles where going dangerously soft and needed using up fast!
Their saviour came in the form of a bar of dark chocolate I had
kicking about at the back of the cupboard and some well out of their sell by
date and slightly too hard to cut vanilla pods that needed to be used before
they came more of a hardened weapon then divine treat… Chocolate beetroot
brownies….oh yes please, these will not only leave you satisfied with a giant
chocolate slap, but, being wheat free and lighter in your belly will also NOT leave
you longing for a brownie induced nap.
*To prepare your beetroot for this recipe you will
need to nip the leave off of your fresh beetroot, the chuck them into a pan of
water, bring to the boil and let simmer for about 45-50 mins, drain and leave
to cool then using rubber gloves slip the skins off*
Ingredients
200g dark chocolate cubed
200g unsalted butter, plus a
smidge more for greasing
300g beetroot, cooked and finely
grated
3 eggs
1 vanilla pod
200g caster sugar
50g cocoa powder
50g rice flour
I teaspoon baking powder
100g ground almonds
Method
Lightly grease and line a rectangular tin that is about 30 x
20 cm (ish) then pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C/gas mark 4.
Pop the butter and chocolate into a heat proof bowl and set
it over a pan of simmering water, allowing it to blissfully melt, make sure the
water isn’t touching the bowl, then remove from the heat.
Put your grated beetroot into another bowl and add the eggs
one at a time and then the sugar, cut your vanilla pod down the middle
lengthways and using the back of the knife to scrape seeds of of the middle add
to the bowl and mix well.
Sift the rice flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into
another bowl (sorry for the washing up!) then mix in the ground almonds.
Stir the beetroot mixture into the melted chocolate mixture
then carefully fold in the dry ingredients.
Pour the mixture into your baking tin and pop it in the oven
for 35 – 40 mins, until it is just firm to the touch. Remember that brownies
are supposed to be gooey in the middle so when you insert a skewer it will come
out quite sticky…..just makes it all the more glorious!
Let it cool in the tin the cut into giant glutinous squares.
ENJOY! X
