I told Miss GF I was making ‘Beetroot Brownies’ and she said “Yuk”. She is not a beetroot fan apparently… but presented with one of these babies on a plate and it was gone in a flash… which tells me they are clearly not ‘beetrooty’, but are absolutely delicious and still full of goodness.
I was prompted to make them as a result of the wonderful crop of beets we have nestled in our vegetable garden right now. They have evidently enjoyed the summer warmth and sunshine and have grown huge and succulent.
Beets are full of good stuff and (I understand) contain a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains, which are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxifying. They are also chock full of vitamins and minerals, especially folic acid, manganese and potassium.
Goodness aside, the thing I most love about beetroot is its colour. Nothing comes close to the incredible depth and hue of the dark pinky-red flesh, which doesn’t fade on cooking.
The earthy flavour of beetroot can be a bit love-hate for some people, but I personally enjoy it, especially when paired with houmous on toast, popped onto salads with grilled Halloumi or roasted in cubes alongside baby potatoes with a sprinkling of thyme.
Baked in brownies however, its magnificence rises to new heights. Beetroot and dark chocolate it seems, are a marriage made in heaven. The earthiness of the beets seem to intensify the richness and depth of cocoa, taking it to an almost intoxifying level of serotonin-inducing decadence… Simply divine.
I had every intention of developing my own recipe for beetroot brownies, after my internet trawl revealed page after page of insipid or dry-looking morsels which did not inspire… but then I came across a recipe from Riverford Organic, that had my attention. The brownies looked moist and very dark… sticky-soft with a crisp coat… and I knew I had stumbled across brownie heaven.
For this post, I have more or less followed the Riverford recipe as written, with a couple of very minor tweaks… There seems no point in tinkering too much with perfection.
I have also rushed them onto the blog, because I figure that I may not be the only one out there with rows of red beets taking over the veg plot and it is always good to have extra inspiration on how to use them.
August also signals the very last ever ‘We Should Cocoa‘ blog challenge with Choclette over at Tin and Thyme. We Should Cocoa has been a bit of an institution in our house and since I started blogging. The challenge itself has been running for eight years and was always one of my favourite recipe link-ups. I am honestly gutted that it is ending. It was one of the brilliant old-style blog challenges that encouraged you to consider a particular ingredient or theme and produce a recipe to fit the bill. I loved those challenges…. they were great inspiration and often formed the basis of my baking month, as I wracked my brain to come up with suitable gluten free creations that would rival the bakes of bloggers who I considered to be better, both at blogging and baking. I felt quite lost for a while when they gradually disappeared one by one, to be replaced by ‘share any old recipe’ linkies.
I will be so sad to see the demise of We Should Cocoa and I didn’t want not to be part of its send-off…. So Choclette… these Beetroot Brownies are for you… with thanks! x
I am also sharing them with the following :
Love Cake with Jibber Jabber
Cook Once Eat Twice with Searching for Spice
Brilliant Blog Posts with Honest Mum
Cook Blog Share with The Peachicks Bakery
Bake Of The Week with Mummy Mishaps and Casa Costello
Baking Crumbs with Only Crumbs Remain
Recipe of the Week with A Mummy Too
Got To Be Gluten Free with Glutarama and Gluten Free Alchemist
Fiesta Friday #237 with Angie, The Not So Creative Cook and Of Goats and Greens
Beetroot Brownies – A recipe adapted from Riverford Organic Farmers (makes 16 brownies)
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare your beetroot in advance – Peel and chop the beetroot into cubes (you will need 250g pureed weight, so allowing for some getting stuck to the sides of the blender, it is worth cooking about 280g).
- Place in a glass/microwavable bowl and add a couple of tablespoons of water.
- Seal with clingfilm and cook on high for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the beetroot has softened and cooked. Allow to cool.
- Drain the beetroot using a sieve and puree in a blender until you have a smooth paste.
- Line a 23 cm (9 inch) square baking tin with baking paper and preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.
- In a separate glass bowl, melt the chocolate and butter together, either in a microwave (set at medium, for 30 second bursts, stirring between each) or set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring frequently. Once melted, stir to ensure the mixture is completely blended. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, beat together the eggs with the vanilla and sugar until smooth and light.
- Weigh and mix together the cocoa, flour, almonds and baking powder, making sure any lumps are broken down (I weigh mine into an airtight container and shake vigorously). Set aside.
- Add the pureed beetroot and the chocolate mixture to the egg mix and beat through until smooth.
- Lastly, gently fold in the dry ingredients to the wet mix until even.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until just firm to the touch. Be careful not to over-cook (a skewer inserted should come out slightly sticky).
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin, before turning out and carefully cutting into squares. Sprinkle with a little icing sugar (optional) and serve.
ooooh these look so squidgy and yummy Kate. I love sneaking any fruit/veggies into my bakes so i must give these a try . thank you for sharing with #GBBOBloggers2018 / GBBObakeoftheweek xx
Thanks Jenny for including me! These were definitely worthy of sharing far and wide. x
Oh these look lovely and love that they are gluten free too.
Thanks Louise x
These look amazing. I love Riverford Organics and will look on their site for some recipe inspiration. Beets with chocolate in brownies – heaven 🙂
Thank you. I have to say I was certainly impressed with this offering from Riverford Organics. I will be going there again in the future for inspiration too! x
We sowed beetroot at the allotment earlier this year and not a single one germinated! I was so looking forward to all the baking I could them in. Hopefully we will be successful next so I can come back make these!
Oh noooooo. That's so sad Ness. It has beena funny year for veg here too…. some things that usually thrive have flunked and other stuff has rocketted! x
Ooh my words I NEED these in my life Kate – they look fabulously squidgey, moist and chocolatey. It always amazes me how certain veg rock in sweet bakes when you really wouldn't expect them to! Having tried beetroot in a chocolate cake some time ago I know how good these must taste. Thankyou for sharing with BakingCrumbs,
Angela xx
I know! Beetroot is so earthy, you think it wouldn't work, but it is perfect set against chocolate. Give them a try if you get the chance. They are divine!
These look so gooey and delicious Kate. I love beetroot in cake, the earthy flavour work ever so well with chocolate and I find it cuts through the sweetness too.
Thanks Rebecca. I agree… the beetroot gives a lovely depth to the bake x
these look amazing-and so healthy too with the hidden veg.
Thank you Jenna. They are delicious!
These look nice, I've never made beetroot brownies (or baked with it at all, I don't think). Saving the recipe! 🙂
Zania
Thank you Zania. You must try them… I think you may be converted! Enjoy x
Whoa!! Look at that texture of the brownies!! That’s what I love in brownies and I love that these are gluten free and with a hidden veggie inside! Yum! Thanks for bringing these with you, Kate! These would be definitely a hit! Have a lovely weekend!
Thank you! The texture was quite something and knowing that there was so much goodness hidden inside made me feel quite virtuous x
These look awesome, moist, and a great way of sneaking the veggies in… I do love beets and am planning on growing them next year.
And, btw, thanks for bringing these to Fiesta Friday!
I've never heard of this, but it looks delicious!
Thank you x
These brownies look so rich and fudgy! I'd definitely like to try them as I'm sure they taste amazing! Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice x
Thanks Corina. You're so welcome x
I've made beetroot brownies before but not gluten free, I am sure yours are delicious, they certainly look it!
Thanks Monika x
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The beetroot brownies do look amazing. I see you've used rice flour, I like that. I have some and I wasn't sure what I can use it for.
Thanks Anca… I would definitely recommend using up your rice flour with some of these…. so good! x
Wow they look insanely squidgy and moist!
Thanks Kat…. they were rather gorgeous x
Beetroot brownies look delish and gorgeous…Thanks for sharing. #cookblogshare
Thank you so much x
This looks amazing – I always think brownies lend themselves to being GF easier than other bakes because they don't depend on flour so much. And I am with you on loving beetroot – it makes me sad some people don't like it because of the staining in the hands and everything else in its path as I think it is such a fun vegie for all the colour. And amen to your ode to We Should Cocoa – it has been so much part of my blogging and so much inspiration that I too will miss it greatly.
Thank you Johanna. Brownies are definitely one of the things that we get given a lot GF, so they must be one of the easier bakes to de-gluten. I have to say though, beetroot takes them to a different level.
So sad about We Should Cocoa. x
I will be very sad to see the end of We Should Cocoa too – I do love a chocolate recipe!
YUM!!!! Love a Beetroot Brownie! And how amazing do they look! Thanks for Sharing #CookBlogShare xxx
Thanks Midge. You're most welcome x
My goodness they look incredible. I make beet brownies, but I want to try your recipe. Thumbs up that Miss GF approved too.
Thanks Shaheen. I hope you do try them. I loved them. It will be good to hear what you think, compared to your usual recipe. x