Vegan + Gluten Free Chocolate and Black Bean Brownies

One of my oldest friends came to stay this weekend, she’s a vegan and was spending 6+ hours getting tattooed on Saturday, so I knew she’d need something sweet and delicious as a treat after all the pain.

I’ve read considerable amounts about black bean brownies and wanted to experiment once I happened upon said pulses, this conveniently happened on Saturday afternoon. They were the first thing I baked when I returned home because I was worried that they might turn out awful, if they were I would have had more time to make something else. They were delicious! No curious flavour or texture, just some brownies that everyone can enjoy being vegan and gluten free. They’re also easy to make sugar free, I added a few tablespoons of vanilla sugar for flavour.

I had questioned as to whether other beans could be used to make these or other brownies, but didn’t experiment, my next plan will be to see if I can make blondies with a white bean and maybe red velvet brownies with a  red bean. I think you understand where I’m coming from here. If you do experiment, let me know, I’d love to see how they turn out.

The brownies keep for a good 3 – 4 days in an airtight container but if they last 24 hours you’re doing something wrong.

Vegan + Gluten Free Chocolate and Black Bean Brownies

1 tin black beans
40g cocoa powder
40g oats
40g vanilla sugar
40g coconut oil
75g agave nectar
4tbsp almond milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
100g dark chocolate, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4.

Combine all ingredients but the chocolate and the almond milk in a food processor until smooth. Add almond milk along the way to reach a wet cakey like consistence.

Stir half the chocolate and pour into a greased square tin, then sprinkle the rest of the chocolate on top.

Bake for around 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Portion into 12 or less and enjoy.

Chocolate Mousse Cake with Salted Caramel

A friend and I have been asked to make the wedding cakes of two friends, no mean feat, so we've taken to the task seriously and come up with three solid cakes to be presented on the big day. One of which is this delicious chocolate mousse cake with an unctuous salted caramel icing, which was requested by the bride to be.

Variations of this cake are like an old friend - I've been making it for at least five years, whether plain, sandwiched with raspberry cream or here, covered in a delicious salted caramel. It's deceptively easy to prepare and bake but takes a little time to get the right results.

After baking the cake can be kept out of the fridge, where it will remain fluffy and voluminous or it can be left in the fridge, where it becomes fudgy and decadent. We're opting for the second method here, but to have the option between the two proves how veritable this rich bitch really is.

I've experimented with using flavoured chocolate when making this cake, orange chocolate works particularly well and if you are going to experiment with fillings - make sure it is a robust flavour or it will be lost in the chocolate abyss.

NB. This cake is gluten free.

Chocolate Mousse Cake with Salted Caramel

Chocolate mousse cake

2 tbsp ground almonds, plus extra for dusting
600g dark chocolate (feel free to experiment with different kinds)
550g caster sugar 

330g unsalted butter
Pinch salt
10 large eggs

Salted Caramel

75g unsalted butter

50g light brown sugar

50g caster sugar

50g golden syrup

1 tsp good sea salt

125 ml double cream

Preheat oven to 180c, line bottom of 2 tins with grease proof paper, brush tins with a little melted butter and dust with ground almonds then shake off the excess. 

Melt chocolate, sugar, butter and salt in a heatproof bowl over a simmering pan of water, be careful that the bowl doesn’t touch the water. 

Then remove from the heat. Whisk the eggs with the almonds for 5 - 10 mins and fold into the chocolate mixture till glossy. Divide equally between 2 cake tins and bake individually for 35 – 40 minutes. 

Remove the sides of the tin and leave to cool for a few minutes then remove form the bottom of the tin and remove the grease proof paper and cool on a wire rack. Once both cakes are cooled leave them in the fridge for a few hours. 

For the salted caramel put all ingredients apart from cream and salt in a ban and bring to the boil, swirling as they melt together.

Boil for three minutes, turn off the heat and mix the cream in with a wooden spoon and add the salt. This is the time to check for how salty you like your caramel, I added an extra 1/4 tsp because as the caramel cools, the taste will be muted.

Boil for another minute and leave to cool. When the cakes are ready to be assembled, pour a small amount of the caramel over the base of the first cake in order to secure the top layer, then drizzle liberally for best results.