One of my best friends from high school and I used to want to open a restaurant together. We discussed it for many years, planned certain aspects and even had a name picked out. Rebrooka’s. Yes, it’s a combination of Brooke and Rebecca. Very clever. Indeed, our dream of opening a restaurant together died sometime in our teens, but Brooke is indeed a chef and restaurant owner. Unfortunately (and I will never understand why), none of her places have been called Rebrooka’s. What the hell Brooke?

Although Brooke is a real-live chef, our food talk often involves things like gross gluten free experiments and what kids will eat, you know, things along those lines.

Recently, she texted me, “have you tried black bean brownies?” I had not, but I had heard of them many a time. I keep meaning to try them out, but again it’s like any of those substitution things that I often can’t get behind. Brooke sent me a link to a blog, Forgiving Martha. I had never heard of it, but ooh I like it! She had the black bean brownie, the one everyone keeps telling me I have to try.

So here’s the thing though. I made them. I didn’t love them. Actually I almost threw them away, but I brought them to a picnic instead, where I said to my colleagues, “try it, tell me what you think” and then grimaced. They each skeptically tried it, and the reaction was about 50/50 even after I told them what the secret ingredient was. Some loved it, some loved that there was a certain something they couldn’t quite place. I think Brooke’s son had my favorite reaction though, “no mas.” I’m with you Hudson.

Of course, this is my journey with tried and true as well as fails. So here is the black bean brownie recipe with some corrections and adjustments I made. I think I over baked them a wee bit, so they weren’t as gooey as they could’ve been. Then again, do I want gooey-ness in my bean brownies?

Black Bean Brownies
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed- as much as possible
1/3 c. earthspread, melted
1/4 c. bittersweet cocoa
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. chocolate chips
optional: 1/3 c. walnuts, chopped

Drain and rinse black beans throughly. Add beans and melted butter into the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth. Beat in eggs. Add in cocoa, vanilla, salt, and sugar and blend until completely pureed. Gently stir in chocolate chips and walnuts then pour into an 8″x8″ greased pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool before cutting.