A few months ago I started going to a local Cake Club, run by the friend of a friend. The idea is once a month we all get together to eat cake and natter. It’s that simple really. Everyone who comes must bring some form (any form) of cake and each month we have a loose theme to inspire us to try a new recipe. I love that part of it. I mean I love making cake, but how easy is it to just fall back on one or two tried and trusted recipes? Having a theme gently guides you to consider bakes you perhaps wouldn’t have done otherwise. This benefits not only the baker, but also the rest of the group. It’s made for some really interesting evenings, and even more delicious cakes to try!
This month’s theme was Vegetables (and Fruit), a cheeky nod to the healthy eating that tends to go on in January. We also welcomed, for the first time, a member who cannot eat gluten. As soon as I heard these two things I knew I had to make my friend Bethany’s Sweet Potato Brownies. Gluten and Dairy Free, I’ve made them once before, when Oscar was eating a GF diet. This time I have tinkered with the recipe ever so slightly and boy do they make the most moist and intensely chocolately morsels. I urge you to give them a go, whether you need a GF recipe or not.
On a side note, I have found these to bake much more evenly than traditional brownies, which I always manage to over or under cook. Always a plus!
Although you can microwave sweet potatoes (like you do jacket potatoes), I have found that baking them from raw, gives a much sweeter result. Prick the potato all over and bake on a foil covered tray at 230/ Gas Mark 8 for an hour, turning half way through. When done, peel, mash and cool before using.
Sweet Potato Brownies
Makes 16
Ingredients
- 1 large baked sweet potato (approx 180g)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 55g coconut oil. Often bought in it’s solid state, I’ve found it’s easiest to melt in the microwave on short bursts.
- 110g soft brown sugar
- 45g cocoa powder
- 60g ground almonds
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 50g good quality dark chocolate chopped into chucks (or chips)
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C /Gas Mark 5 and line a square (9 x 9) cake tin with grease proof/baking paper
- Mix sweet potato, eggs, vanilla and coconut oil in a bowl
- Mix sugar, cocoa, ground almonds, baking powder and salt in another bowl
- Sieve dry mixture to wet ingredients a third at a time. Mix well after adding each third
- When the two mixtures are combined, add the chocolate chunks/chips and stir
- Pour batter into lined tin
- Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean from the middle
- Cool in tin for 10 minutes before removing, in greaseproof paper, to cooling rack.
- Let cool completely before cutting
These brownies are delicious with a cup of coffee and a sense of smug satisfaction that you’re practically eating one of your five a day.
Sort of 😉
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