Now, sure, everyone has different taste buds. Its possible that the people who enjoyed this recipe actually like black beans by themselves, so they may not dislike the brownies because it isn't a taste they normally dislike. So I HAD to try it. If you follow my Facebook page "Scrappy Gidget Homemade" or have seen my YouTube videos, you know that 2018 is the start of a lot of things for me. One of the most important is my husband and I's health. We want to eat right and for him, even though he can be a picky eater, he can also eat the same thing over and over again and it works for him. Me? NO WAY! I can't even if I try. I get bored and eventually end up just not liking the food. It is true that too much of something isn't always a good thing. Therefore, I am stuck with the conundrum of finding healthy new recipes to try, within the constraints of our medical needs, while also trying to convince my love that brussel sprouts really can taste good (well, you get my point).
There are some key things that I should mention. I followed the recipe *almost* to a T. The recipe called for "quick oats" and Katie made a point in mentioning in her blog that she has always made the recipe as is, never having substituted quick oats for something like rolled oats, almond flour, etc. Well, this Gidget only had Rolled Oats and Almond Flour in her pantry. So I took a chance and went with the rolled oats (I mean they were probably closer to the quick oats than the almond flour, right?) So that was one difference. The next "variation" I made came along when I realized that I had previously ate most of the dark chocolate chips that I had on hand with some raspberries as a snack, so I only had maybe 1/8 cup. So I had to improvise with what I had. Yep... I did it. I sacrificed the full size Hershey Milk Chocolate bar I had and chopped it to bits. I used that in an attempt to replace the chips and it seemed to work okay (although I want to try again with all of the original ingredients).
*** THE RESULTS *** SPOILER ALERT!!! ****
First, I have to say it was a big confidence booster when my husband came home and said "Ooooh! Are you making brownies!?" So a) yes they smell (and look) like brownies.
The instructions on the original recipe say to let them cool for a long time or over night, which Niki also mentions in the video she doesn't know how much is enough time. I used my PamperedChef brownie pan to make brownie squares, so I just set the entire pan on a cooling rack and let it sit there. It probably was about 3 hours before I took them out. I tried one and it still didn't seem fully set but I was quite pleasantly surprised that it tasted pretty good! Yes it is true that it is not the Betty Crocker Brownie mix, but it was a good tasting brownie, especially considering it was made with BLACK BEANS! (I also think that if I had the right chocolate chips it would have made a difference). My husband tried one (at this point he still had no idea that they were any different other than I told him there would be oats in it because it used oats instead of flour... only a small white lie, right?) He had just woken from a nap so his face was a little underwhelming, but he nodded in approval and then I told him the secret ingredient. He looked at the brownie as though it was an alien from outer dimensions of the universe, disbelief in what he now knew versus what he was seeing and tasting. He shrugged, nodded in approval again, and ate the rest of the brownie. His main issue was that they still didn't seem fully set! I was so excited and happy that he liked it and couldn't wait to share our experience with you all!
The brownies are now on a plate in the fridge, setting up more, and we can't wait to have another one tomorrow!
Moral of this experience, never judge a book by its cover, or a recipe by its ingredients! Don't prejudge anything before you have a chance to try it out for yourself! I would like to again thank @NikkiLimo and @ChocolateCoveredKatie for their inspiration and shares! The world becomes a happier place when you don't have to journey alone 😃
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