Chocolate brownie are a classic dessert that almost everyone enjoys. Add a little twist of decadent cacao and super rich dark chocolate think 80% and you know you are in for a treat. The prunes are high in fibre and full of super vitamin k which is good for your bones. They add that fudgy slightly gooey element to the brownie and make a natural companion to chocolate. This little feel good recipe came out of a Donna Hay magazine from a few years back with my tweaks to the recipe. I make it over and over again and it always hits the spot.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (225g) pitted prunes
- 60g of 80% dark chocolate
- 1/4 cup (6oml) coconut oil (or light flavoured olive oil or ghee)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) agave nectar (maple syrup, rice malt or another natural sweetener)
- 1 vanilla pod scraped
- 1/4 cup (25g) organic cacao
- 1/2 tsp of bicarbonate soda
- 2/3 cup (80g) of almond meal ( I use the dried almond nut pulp from making my own almond milk)
- 2 organic eggs – lightly beaten
Ganache
- 80 g of 80% dark chocolate
- 1/4 cup (6oml) organic cocount milk
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
- Lightly grease and line with baking paper a 20cm square tin.
- Place 1 cup of the prunes in a bowl and cover with hot water let sit for 10 minutes.
- Chop the remaining prunes into small pieces.
- Drain the soaked prunes and put into a food processor with the melted chocolate, oil, agave nectar, and vanilla and blend until smooth.
- Scrape out the prune mixture into a bowl and add almond meal, cacao, bicarbonate of soda, chopped prunes and the two eggs. Mix to combine.
- Spoon the mixture into the baking tin. Smooth the top with a palette knife.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it is cooked but still fudgy in the middle.
- Allow to cool in the cake tin.
Prepare the Ganache
- Place the chocolate in a small bowl.
- Place the coconut milk in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour over the chocolate. Wait 5 minutes until it has softened and mix until smooth.
- Spread the ganache over the cake.
- Place in the fridge to allow the ganache to set.
- Cut the brownie into pieces. Great served with coconut yoghurt.
