Grain-free brownies

Well, for no particular reason, other than we are in some weird times, I wanted to eat brownies. Also, because sometimes I can be a little rigid with myself - with intermittent fasting and wanting vegetables at each meal and all this business - I'm bringing in a little more intuitive eating. Like, maybe I will not have some major health fallout if I don't eat greens most days?!

So, I did not wait for my birthday, or someone else's birthday, and just made them. And so far, I am thoroughly enjoying my brownie encounters. These are good. Not overly sweet. Chocolatey, more dense than cake, but not fudge-like. Eating them feels really satisfying, unlike some treats I might get myself (the GF cream puffs at the co-op, for example) that actually are NOT that good, in the end. Last time I ate said cream puffs, they were dry and under-whelming. 

I recently saw a tiktok video by BlackForager (Alexis Nikole), who I LOVE, of her acorn flour pancakes. (I wish I was savvy enough to upload a tiktok video here, but alas, I am not.) It makes me think, hmmm, these brownies with acorn flour?! That would be the most stunning of treats, so maybe I'll see about making that happen. (Also check out her cattail song!)

So. These brownies are sweetened with dates and dark chocolate, and come together pretty easily in the food processor. One of my chocolate bars had some cayenne in it, which I get a little kick of in the brownies. I baked mine in a 9" cast iron skillet, though it was lined with parchment and my batter was fairly thick and didn't spread all the way out. The original recipe (another Mark's Daily Apple one) was baked in a 7" square baking pan, which reportedly resulted in thick brownies that could easily be thinner. So - go with something in this sort of size arena. (Note the original also has instructions for a keto, sugar-free version if you are interested.)

Ingredients (for 10-12 brownies)

• ¼ cup Salted Butter
• 3.5 oz. (100g) 70% Chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup Full Fat Coconut Milk
• 10 Dates, soaked (I used mostly Medjool, with a few Deglet)
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup Almond Flour
• 5 Tbsp. Cacao Powder
• 2 Large Eggs

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Set up a double boiler by filling a pot with a few inches of water and placing it over medium heat. Once it begins to boil, reduce to a simmer and place a heat-safe bowl on top of the pot. Add the chopped chocolate and butter to the bowl and gently mix using a spatula until the mixture is melted.

Soak the dates in hot water for at least 10 minutes. Drain the dates and add the dates, coconut milk and vanilla extract to a food processor. Blend until the mixture is fairly smooth, making sure to stop the processor occasionally to scrape down the sides. Add the chocolate and butter mixture and pulse a few more times. Add the almond flour and cocoa powder and pulse until combined. Add the eggs and blend until smooth.

Pour the brownie batter into a greased or parchment lined baking dish (a 7”x7” but made fairly thick brownies, so you can also use a larger dish). Feel free to top with chopped chocolate or walnuts. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the center is fairly firm. Allow the brownies to fully cool before slicing.*

*I couldn't resist and ate some before they were all the way cool. They are better cool, FYI.