When I first thought of this chocolate-beet combination, I was a little doubtful this was going to work at all. Des légumes avec mon chocolat préféré ? Ca va pas, non ? (Vegetables with my favorite chocolate, are you nuts?). Now I like dark chocolate a lot, and beets as well, so I thought : Pourquoi pas ? Browsing once more through my numerous cooking sheets lying all on the floor this am (I had the time, yes!) or on the living room chairs, my magazines and books, I discovered a recipe for Dark Chocolate and Beet Brownies (from Cuisine Gourmande). And because today is D Day on SlashFood, I decided to take the jump and make:
Dark Chocolate-Beetroot Brownies
The letter D for Dark Chocolate on D Day !
Here is what to do to make this little treat, if you are courageous enough! Come on. No need to be afraid! I just did a few adjustments to the recipe I had found, because I like my sweets to taste Dark chocolaty and less sweet.
You need:
- 3 oz (90 g) Dark chocolate (I used a 75 % cocoa dark chocolate)
- 3.5 oz (100 g) flour
- 3.5 oz (100 g) almond powder
- 3 oz (90 g) sugar
- 3 oz (90 g) butter (soft)
- 4 eggs
- 7 oz (200 g) shredded raw red beetroot
- Vanilla extract
- Confectioner sugar and cocoa for decoration
Steps
- Start by peeling and shredding the beets. Set aside
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
- Mix together (using a food processor, I use my Kitchen Aid Stand) the butter with the eggs, then add the sugar.
- Mix until lighter, then add the chocolate, flour, almond powder, the beets and the vanilla extract, and mix well.
- Butter a small mold (argh, grrrgrr, I cannot be consistent, mold, mould, you know what I mean! One of those things I just can not register) (I used a round mould but a square one works well) and placed greased parchment paper at the bottom)
- Pour the preparation in it and bake in the oven for about 30 mns in a preheated oven, 350 F (180 C)
Note: Your brownies are cooked once the blade of a knife comes out dry after you insert the blade in the cake.
Anything with Dark Chocolate! I say : Yes! But one condition: only if the chocolate is dark enough, that is a minimum of 70%. I personally dislike Lindt 70% (leaves an after taste). I love Michel Cluizel, La Maison du Chocolat, NewTree. Amongst my favorites. With beets in the preparation, I was just happy. I tested it. Moist, sweet, but not too much.
Morale:
Could this be the French-American version of the English carrot cake, I wonder now! The reconciliation between the two stubborn bodies?
Et pourquoi pas! (And why not!)
These are the 3 words to remember from today’s lesson. (Béa, you are not teaching French anymore, stop it!)