Beetroot Brownies

I have wanted to make beetroot brownies for ages and that was the real reason that I bought the beetroot in the first place, that and it was so cheap! I am a huge fan of making veg cakes, courgette cakes being my speciality with the number of courgettes I grow through the summer.

This is the first time I've tried cooking with beetroot and it worked beautifully in these brownies. They were moist and soft and chocolatey, all the things you'd want from a brownie! As I was making these for 11-14 yr olds I didn't use all dark chocolate but rather used half dark and half milk and they went down a treat without anyone asking what was in them!

Beetroot Brownies (adapted from River Cottage Everyday)
(makes about 20)

250g unsalted butter, cut into cubes

150g dark chocolate (about 70 per cent cocoa solids), broken into pieces 

100g milk chocolate, broken into pieces

3 medium eggs

250g caster sugar

A pinch of sea salt

150g self-raising flour

250g beetroot, boiled until tender, cooled, peeled and grated

 

Grease a shallow baking tin, approximately 20 x 25cm, and line the base with baking parchment.

 

Put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Set the oven at 180C and put the bowl in it for a few minutes until the chocolate and butter start to melt. Stir, then put back into the oven for a few more minutes to melt completely. Of course, you could melt them together in the traditional way, over a pan of hot water, but it seems a shame not to exploit the warming oven.

 

Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until combined, then beat in the melted chocolate and butter until smooth. Combine the salt with the flour, sift them over the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in with a large metal spoon. Fold in the grated beetroot - be careful not to over-mix or it will make the brownies tough.

 

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes; when the brownies are done, a knife or skewer inserted in the centre should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Don 't be tempted to overcook them or they will be dry. Remove the tin from the oven and leave on a wire rack to cool before cutting into squares.