Brownies with an unexpected twist

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Brownies?

• Chocolaty goodness?
• Sweet treat... oh melt in your mouth?
• I really shouldn't be indulging but what the heck, I've been a good girl, so I deserve it?
• All of the above?

Yeah well believe it or not I've not been a fan of brownies until I ate this at a friend's place in Calgary. I really can't stand over the top sweet things and brownies definitely fall in that category. Well, not this one. So if you're looking for something typical, sorry to disappoint.
These brownies have *gasp* pureed veggies in them. And not one tsp of white sugar. Intrigued?
Try them for yourself. Top with a thin layer of nutella for that little bit of sweetness and add chopped hazelnuts or walnuts for a really nice texture.

Healthy Brownies

Ingredients:




- Nonstick cooking spray
- 3 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
- 1/2 cup carrot puree
- 1/2 cup spinach puree
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 tbsp soft tub margarine (i used butter)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 large egg whites
- 3/4 cup oat flour or all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt


Directions:


1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat an 8x8 inch baking pan with cooking spray

2) Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or over a very low flame.

3) In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine, and vanilla and whisk until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.


4) Whisk in egg whites. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon.

5) Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 bars.

Note: Make sure they are cooled completely, that's when the spinach flavour disappears. Top with a touch of Nutella and toasted hazelnuts/walnuts for texture.