Sweet Bean Endings

To wrap up bean week, I decided to do some sweet treats that utilize pureed beans, which add to the fiber, body, moisture, and nutrition of the treats. We tried black bean brownies and navy bean oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, both recipes from the US Dry Bean Council.

Black Bean Brownies
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
2 c. white sugar
1 c. pureed, cooked black beans
4 eggs (or 1 cup egg substitute)
2/3 c. flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 pan.
In a bowl, mix cocoa, butter, sugar, black bean puree, and eggs until well blended.
Mix together the remaining dry ingredients in a small bowl and stir into the wet mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Verdict: This is not what we would call a brownie but more of a cross between a brownie and a chocolate cake. I also didn't hear my timer beep and left it in the oven for 47 minutes. A little crisp around the edges but still very moist and rich in chocolate flavor. This was enjoyed by the whole family and will be made again, possibly in "cupcake" form.

Navy Bean Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 c. white sugar
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. butter or margarine softened or shortening (I used Blue Bonnet margarine)
1 c. pureed navy bean (rinse and drain canned navy beans, then puree)
2 eggs or 1/2 c. egg substitute
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c. quick cooking oats
6 oz (1 c.) chocolate chips (I used Hershey's semisweet)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a food processor, puree cooked/canned beans until a thick, smooth paste is formed.
Measure 1 cup of bean puree and ceram with butter and sugars in a mixer.
Add eggs and vanilla and blend well.
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and combine thoroughly.
Stir in oats and chocolate chips.
Drop tablespoons of dough onto a greased cookie sheet. (I use a tablespoon scoop that looks like a mini ice cream scoop, and I use parchment paper to line my cookie sheets.) Bake for 16 minutes or until golden brown. ( I bake two sheets at a time, rotating them halfway through the time.)
Yield: 5 dozen cookies

Verdict: This is a good cookie. It isn't what I think of when I think of "oatmeal cookie" like it doesn't quite have enough oatmeal, but it's good. The dough is rather wet but still holds its shape. Adding 1/2 cup to 1 cup more oatmeal might make it more oatmeal cookie-like and firm it up, but it will also require more chocolate chips. The cookie is tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. I think I will put more chocolate chips in the cookies next time. Note again that I said "next time" with this recipe too - this one is a keeper if I'm judging by how many of them my family has eaten! I'm also going to puree my remaining cooked navy beans and freeze them in one cup portions to use in this recipe.

Both of these recipes should be able to have some or maybe all of their flour substituted with whole wheat flour, making them jam packed with whole grains, fiber, and protein. Both of these are being tucked into the "do again" recipe file, and it was a great way to end bean week!