Black Bean Brownies and Lentil Cookies

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These recipes were requested by TheFurFiles. I hope you and your family enjoy them as much as mine does! I’m taking a break from baking until Thanksgiving when my son, DIL, and sister wife are in town.

News Flash…I’m losing my best buddy. The captain’s leaving tomorrow for about 7 weeks. I know it’s crazy, but that’s the way it is. One day he’s here, and one day he’s not. Right now I’m in shock. We knew it would happen eventually–the call would come–but neither of us was expecting it so soon. He hasn’t even been home a full month. Oh well, I’m a glass half full kind of gal so I won’t be too upset. It’s watching him pack that’s making me sad right now!

Black Bean Brownies

  • 1 can or 3/4 cup cooked black beans
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil, or olive oil (I always use a bit less)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2/3 cup sugar ( I’ve tried brown sugar and I’ve tried agave, not sure what’s better, kind of a personal taste thing)
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 9-inch square baking pan. In a blender, puree the beans with the oil. Add the eggs, cocoa, sugar, coffee, and vanilla. Melt half the chocolate chips and add to the blender. Blend on medium-high until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the blender and pulse until just incorporated. Stir in the remaining chocolate. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until the surface looks somewhat matte around the edges and still a bit shiny in the middle, about 20 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting and removing from the pan. My family thinks they taste better the longer you let them sit, so the beany texture dissipates.

Lentil Cookies (Alton Brown‘s version)

  • 9 1/2 ounces whole-wheat pastry flour, approximately 2 cups*
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 8 ounces sugar, approximately 1 cup (1/2 white, 1/2 brown)
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature, approximately 1/2 cup***Sometimes I use half oil, half butter, or all oil. Depends on my mood and my pantry.
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups lentil puree, recipe follows
  • 3 1/2 ounces rolled oats, approximately 1 cup
  • 4 ounces dried fruit, approximately 1 cup
  • 2 1/4 ounces unsweetened dried shredded coconut, approximately 1 cup

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice. In the bowl of a stand-mixer with a whisk attachment, cream together the sugar and butter on medium speed. Add the egg and mix until just incorporated. Add the vanilla and lentil puree and mix until combined. Add the flour mixture and blend on low speed until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the oats, dried fruit and coconut. Form the dough into balls about 2 teaspoons in size and place on a baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving about 1-inch of room in between. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes.

Lentil Puree:

  • 4 ounces lentils, approximately 2/3 cup, picked over and rinsed
  • 2 cups water

In a small pot over medium heat, combine the lentils and the water. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Remove from the heat and puree. If using immediately, let cool. The puree may be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. Yield: 1 1/2 cups lentil puree.

18 thoughts on “Black Bean Brownies and Lentil Cookies”

  1. mrs. seashells. You know I adore reading your blog and I’m saddened that your other half is leaving for a short time. However, I’m hopeful time will fly and you have all of us to keep you entertained.
    I must ask though. WTF. What in the hell. Black beans and lentils. This could have been sent privately to nutty fern. I don’t even know what a lentil is. Where is the perfect chocolate Cale with peanut butter icing recipe?????
    I’ll wait.
    xo

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    • Well my favorite life size barbie, I did not invent these things. You cannot hate me for that. I am only the messenger, or to be more accurate, the baker here. These recipes combine nutrition and our desire for sweets. Lentils are a wonderful protein, please refer to Wiki for more info…. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lentil Truthfully–black bean brownies are a poor substitute for the real chocolatey, fudgey thing, but they are not THAT bad.(Hee hee) By the way, is Fern nutty? I’ve had a random thought that she might be, but I know I am, so I have a skewed sense of what’s what. I love you anyway!

      On Tue, Nov 6, 2012 at 4:10 PM, Enchanted Seashells…Confessions of a Tugbo

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  2. Nutty Fern weighing in…thank you SO much for these recipes. I will be baking up a storm soon, and you know I really hate cooking. I will definitely post pics but only on Twitter so as not to further aggravate Ms. LifeSizeBarbie. She can get cranky sometimes. But I still love her. And if she came to my house, I would definitely feed her lentils. I’d hide them in cookies or something crazy like that LOL! You both make me laugh. 🙂

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  6. Just think about how much fun you will have when he returns : )
    Black beans are trending! New best thing and these sound delicious! I love the instant coffee in the recipe : )
    Lentil puree cookies; interesting!!

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  9. Pingback: Lentil Cookies, v2 | Enchanted Seashells…Confessions of a Tugboat Captain's Wife

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