Spinach in brownies? Even adults who enjoy spinach might not think that's such a good idea. But this recipe for brownies is pretty darned good.
From Missy Chase Lapine's book, The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals, these chocolate brownies are far more nutritous than your average chocolate fudge brownie.
In addition to the Vitamin A and iron from the spinach, these healthy brownies have antioxidant-rich blueberries and a nice serving of fiber from rolled oats and wheat flour.
The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of Purple Puree, which is a blend of spinach, blueberries and lemon juice. You can make the Purple Puree in advance and store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to two days or in the freezer in an air-tight container.
Although Lapine says this recipe makes 30 kid-sized brownies, that isn't realistic, unless you're talking about bite-sized brownies. She also says you can use a 9 x 13 pan. But if you did, you'd have paper-thin brownies. So the calorie and nutrition counts here are based on 12 normal-sized brownies made in a 9-inch square pan.
These brownies aren't overly sweet, so you may want to add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Dark chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli, would make a nice addition.
Brainy Chocolate Brownies
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Purple Puree (recipe below)
- 2 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour
- 2 Tbsp. wheat germ, unsweetened
- 1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup rolled oats, found in a food processor
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray only the bottom (not the sides) of a 9-inch square baking pan. Make the Purple Puree first (recipe below). Set aside. Melt the butter and chocolate chips together in a double boiler or metal bowl over simmering water. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool.
Meanwhile, in another bowl, stir together the eggs, vanilla, sugar and Purple Puree. Combine this mixture with the cooled chocolate mixture.
In a mixing bowl, stir together the flours, wheat germ, cocoa powder, oats and salt. Add to the chocolate mixture and blend thoroughly. Mix in the chopped walnuts, if using, then pour the entire mixture in to the baking pan. Bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan before cutting the brownies, using a plastic or butter knife. Dust with powdered sugar or sprinkles, if desired. Brownies will keep up to a week in the refrigerator, covered tightly.
Makes 12 brownies.
Per brownie (including walnuts): 258 calories, 17 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 51 mg cholesterol, 24 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 5 g protein, 36% vitamin A, 7% vitamin C,4% calcium, 8% iron
Purple Puree
- 3 cups raw baby spinach or 2 cups frozen chopped spinach or frozen chopped collard greens
- 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened blueberries
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 3-4 Tbsp. water
If using raw spinach, wash and dry it thoroughly (even if it's triple-washed, bagged spinach). Bring the spinach and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Turn the heat down to low and allow to simmer, 10 minutes.
Rinse and drain blueberries. Place blueberries, cooked spinach, lemon juice and 2 Tbsp. of water in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blad. Process on high until smooth, stopping occasionally if necessary to scrape the bowl. Add the rest of the water if necessary, to make a smooth puree.
Yield: 1 cup puree.
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