On any given day biting into a scrumptious piece of brownie brings much greater joy and smiles to the faces than a piece of cookie would do. The soft gooey texture leaving a blast of sinful chocolate flavors with every bite makes it difficult to resist. And why would you want to resist one of the simplest confections to assemble and bake? But for those out there counting thy calories, the humble brownie over the years has presented multiple healthier versions of itself.
While some add an extra bar of chocolate or marshmallows to give it a unique texture, some take the liberty of baking it with sweet potato. No need to get alarmed, this healthier version of brownie tastes no less than usual. Sweet potato in brownie doesn’t make it a salad rather gives it a smoother and excellent moist consistency. The sweetness of the potato equates to the need for a spoonful of chocolate, making it the appropriate substitute.
Tracing the origin
It was towards the end of the 19th century that brownie came into existence in the United States. But it was only during the first half of the 20th century that they became a household go-to delicacy.
Tracing the existence of the brownie, it was in 1893 at the request of Bertha Palmer – a Chicago socialite and wife of Palmer House Hotel’s owner - that a brownie was first baked. Made with walnuts and an apricot glaze, this came to be known as Palmer House Brownie.
However, for the longest time, no cookbook or chef referred to the term brownie in order to describe this piece of heaven. Then around 1896 in the Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Farmer, the term brownie was used to describe a dessert that had ‘no chocolate’. Then finally by 1899 Machias Cookbook published the first brownie recipe. Towards the 1907s modern-style brownies were already a rage and continue to be so.
Ingredients
• 3/4 cup sweet potato puree
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup cacao powder
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 3/4 cup oat flour, sifted
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Method
Begin by preheating the oven to 350ºF. While that gets done, grab a big size sweet potato and peel the skin. Cut the potato into ½-inch cubes, wash and steam-cook them until they become soft and tender. This should take approximately 15 to 20 minutes for it to become moist.
Remove the pieces of sweet potato and mash them with the help of a spoon or a fork. If it seems difficult use a food processor to mash it. But make sure there are no lumps in the puree.
To this puree now add almond butter, cacao powder, coconut sugar, oat flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, olive oil, and salt. Combine all the ingredients and mix until it is a smooth batter.
Throw in the chocolate chips and give it a gentle mix once more to make sure that each corner of the batter has a chocolate chip. Keep it aside.
In a pan lay parchment paper and then pour the batter over the paper. Once the batter is in make sure to smooth out the top of the batter.
Place it in the oven and bake at 350ºF for about 30 minutes. Remove and let it cool. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or a glass of milk.
Owing to its easy-to-bake and viscous personality, the brownie has made a permanent in-road into our lives. And baking it with a twist of sweet potato makes it a guilt-free sweet indulgence.