Fudgy Beetroot Brownies

Natalie Tamara

THERE'S MORE WHERE THIS CAME FROM!

For the brownies:
4 fresh beetroot, peeled, chopped, boiled until softened (retain a small amount of the liquid from cooking), and puréed in a food processor
100g plain flour
50g dairy-free margarine
50g brown sugar
3 flax “eggs” (1tbsp ground flax meal + 3tbsp water per “egg”, whisked for five minutes)
125g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
3tbsp cocoa powder
2tsbp liquid coffee
2tsp baking powder
For the topping:
50g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
2tsp coconut oil
1tbsp water from the beetroot
¼tsp stevia syrup (optional)
Small amount of desiccated coconut or grated dark chocolate to sprinkle on top (optional)

Rich, gooey and devilishly chocoately, these vegan beetroot brownies are both a sinful dessert and one of your five-a-day!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8

Serves 8.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the margarine and sugar. Once mixed, stir in the flax eggs followed by the beetroot purée and coffee.

In another bowl, add the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Using a sieve to remove any lumps, slowly add the flour mix to the beetroot mix, a small amount at a time. As you go, gently fold in the flour, avoiding stirring too much. Finally, stir in the chopped chocolate.

Grease a deep tin or oven-proof dish (glass or ceramic are fine) and pour the mixture in, spreading evenly. Place in the oven and bake for around 45 minutes; the exact cooking time will depend on your oven. For fudgy brownies, you can tell they are cooked when the edges begin to pull away from the container and putting a cocktail stick in doesn’t bring out any lumps (it won’t come out clean for fudgy ones even when they are cooked).

Once the brownies are cooked, remove from the oven. Leave for around five minutes to cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack or kitchen paper. Allow them to cool completely before adding the topping.

Whilst the brownies are cooling, bring a small amount of water to the boil in a large pan. Place a large heat-proof mixing bowl over the pan and add the chocolate, coconut oil and beetroot water into the bowl. Stir constantly until the ingredients have melted and formed a smooth, glossy paste. Mix in the stevia syrup, if using.