Chocolate and beetroot brownies

chcocolate and beetroot brownies

WHAT? Someone is having a laugh, right? And that’s not just Tomik, the ceramic cat. How can you possibly combine beetroot with chocolate? Impossible! Well…you are wrong and I can guarantee that you would be amazed by the end result if you tried it. Inspired by Candida’s latest posting I have decided to blog this unusual brownie recipe by Hugh Fernley Whittingstall (who else?) which I have successfully baked several times before. Brownies are very easy to make and are rather versatile as they can be eaten warm as a pudding accompanied by lashings of good quality vanilla ice cream or cold with a nice cup of tea/coffee. A warning: they are not for people on a diet, I am afraid, as they contain a high amount of butter but hey! Now and again one must overindulge a little, don’t you think? You can always go for a long walk with dog or a punishing bike ride afterwards to atone.  So what are you waiting for? Bake a batch and let your puzzled friends guess the secret ingredient! They will never guess that that nice purpley tinge they spot when they bite into them  comes from beetroot and not , for example, raspberries (which, by the way, are another possible ingredient you can add instead). You can of course leave out the beetroot altogether , or add for example pecans or walnuts as an alternative but they wouldn’t be as unusual. Come on! Have a go! You won’t regret it.

INGREDIENTS

250g unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus a little more for greasing

250g plain chocolate (about 70% cocoa solids), broken into squares

250g caster sugar

3 eggs

150g self-raising flour

pinch of salt

 200g cooked and peeled beetroot, grated 

METHOD

Grease a baking tin, approximately 20 x 25cm, and line the base with baking parchment. Put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave (or over a pan of hot water). Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until combined, then beat in the melted chocolate and butter until smooth. Combine the salt with the flour, sift them over the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in with a large metal spoon. Fold in the grated beetroot – be careful not to over-mix or it will make the brownies tough. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius; when the brownies are done, a knife or skewer inserted in the centre should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. What you must bear in mind is that you must not overcook them. They should be slightly gooey inside. If they get too dry they aren’t half as nice.

 

 

 

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