Jenny Chandler's Black bean and tahini swirl brownies

About this recipe

“Beans are quite fabulous in a brownie, giving an outrageously creamy, fudgy texture.

Beans, and all pulses, are great sustainable crops as they enrich the soils in which they grow, removing the need for synthetic fertilisers, they improve soil structure and bring biodiversity too - a win, win .

I’ve opted for black beans here because they are readily available, though we don’t have the right climate to grow them in the UK. If you can get hold of British Carlin Peas do sub these in for the beans - they work beautifully and taste wonderfully nutty.

A bean brownie naturally gives you a gluten-free baking option, an absolute boon when it comes to a cake sale.” Jenny Chandler

Makes 16 small brownies (they are very rich)

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

125g butter, cut into small cubes

2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

300g cooked black beans, thoroughly drained

2 tbsp flax or chia seeds + 2 tbsp water

3 eggs

200g light brown Muscovado sugar

1 tsp baking powder

100g roughly chopped nuts walnuts, pecans, pistachios or almonds (optional)

Method

Step 1

Pre heat the oven to 180º C/Gas 4

Step 2

Tahini Swirl: Mix 3 tbsp tahini with 1 tbsp icing sugar or maple syrup (if your tahini is very hard and dry add 1 tbsp of a neutral cooking oil to loosen)

Step 3

Butter or line a 24 cm square baking tin with baking parchment. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a large bowl placed over a pan of simmering water or on a low setting in the microwave. Leave to cool a little and add the cocoa powder and vanilla extract.

Step 4

Meanwhile blend the beans, seeds and water with the one of the eggs in a small food processor or blender. Now gradually stir the bean mixture, and the nuts (if using), into the chocolate. Take a large bowl and whisk the remaining eggs with the sugar until light and creamy. Fold into the brownie mixture along with the baking powder. Pour into the tin, and then spoon small drops of tahini mixture over the surface, then take a fork or cocktail stick and swirl.

Step 5

Bake for about 25-30 minutes until just set but still a little wobbly.

Place the tin on a wire rack and allow to cool completely before attempting to cut up into small squares (if the brownies seem very gooey placing them in the fridge, or even the freezer, for half an hour will make your life much easier).

Recipe hints and tips

These keep in the fridge for up to five days, getting fudgier as the days go by and freeze brilliantly too.

Dicing 75 g of crystallised ginger into 5 mm pieces and adding instead of nuts.