Healthy Black Bean Brownies w/ peanut butter frosting

Recently I came across a recipe for flour-less black bean brownies! I had never heard of them before and maybe you haven't either so I decided to share them with you!!

First of all there are a few things you should know about my rendition of black bean brownies!

They are dense, chewy, best when they are completely chilled, best with peanut butter glaze, and best eaten with a fork!

They have such a strange flavor and taste! I am quite obsessed with them right now! I can't say as you will like the recipe because after all they are made with black beans and they are made with healthy sugar (maple syrup)! I may just be a weirdo because I like these strange fudgey brownies, but possibly you may like them as well!

This recipe is my own version of another recipe I found on Pinterest

The original recipe is very good too but I like mine better because mine is healthy, and it includes a peanut butter glaze!

Black Bean Brownie Recipe

Ingredients:

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed.

1/4 cup chocolate chips

3 Tbsp melted coconut oil

3 eggs

2/3 cup of maple syrup

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

 1 tsp vanilla (I just dump some in)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350º. 

In a blender add the can of black beans. Blend, stir, blend, stir etc until you have the beans chopped up fairly well. Then add melted coconut oil and chocolate chips. Blend, stir, blend, stir. Mixture probably still won't be quite smooth yet since we are using a blender instead of a processor.

Add remaining ingredients and blend, stir, blend, stir until the mixture is smooth!

Pour into greased 9x9 pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Bake until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Brownies are the best completely chilled.

Direction with a food processor

1. Preheat oven to 350º. In a food processor, combine the beans, chocolate chips and oil. Blend until combined. Add the eggs, brown sugar, cocoa, vanilla, baking powder and salt; cover and process until smooth.
2. Transfer to a 9x9 square baking pan coated with cooking spray.

Peanut Butter Glaze

Add 3-4 Tbsp of butter, 1/2 cup of peanut butter, dash of vanilla, dash of salt, some maple syrup, and "healthy sugar" in a sauce pan. Melt all ingredients and stir until smooth. Pour onto brownies and chill. /glaze will harden 

after it has chilled.

Then enjoy your healthy black bean brownies!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Thanks for reading!

Christmas with the Rowes

We had a wonderful time in Texas with the Rowe family for Christmas!

It was nice and sunny a few days and cold and rainy the rest!

We had lost of yummy food on Christmas complete with turkey, ham, green bean casserole, stuffing, corn, deviled eggs, casserole, and some yummy orange fluffy stuff my sister-in-law made! :D

...and the dessert... it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!! We had pecan pie, apple pie, chocolate pie, cherry pie, key lime pie, snikerdoodles, and chex muddy buddys! Oh my so yummy! Not to mention all the eggnog! I'm ashamed to say I had way too much sugar this past week!

Good fellowship and good food! It was so great to see Grady and Andrea again!!

Grandma Rowe bought all the grand kids Christmas presents!

Sweet dirty Cari! She is getting so big!

Cole with his Army camo on!

We played the white elephant game! (gift exchange) It was a lot of fun!

Little Marlin with a bow on his head lol

On our way home we swung down to the beach in Corpus Cristi! It was cold and rainy but still fun to go to the beach! We drove out onto the packed sand and threw chips out the window for the sea gulls!  When we drove away from the beach we had a trail of sea gulls chasing us for more chips!

Little Marlin was intently watching the sea gulls swoop down and gather up the chips!

 

Happy New Years to everyone!

Zimmerman Family News

What we've been up to lately

We went to my brother, Jared's house for Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time! There is nothing like being together with family for the Holidays! Talking and laughing with everyone is the best thing!

I think I look forward to hanging out with my family the most out of everything during the holidays! Of course good food, bluegrass music, and holiday decorations make it twice as pleasant! Since October I've been listening to the bluegrass album called "Smoky Mountain Christmas Memories". I used to listen to it all the time when I was young so it brings back lots of sweet memories of cold days, hot chocolate, and dazzling Christmas lights that somehow seemed magical. I know everyone says that about Christmas lights trying to make them some mystical type of fairy tale thing, but I really did feel like they were so intriguing. I still get a thrill out of Christmas lights. I put up my Christmas tree the other day and just melted when I plugged in the lights and the tree lit up! My tree is really neat! It's tall and skinny and its decorated with pine cones, red berries and snow!

I've also been making lots of pies lately, apple pie, pumpkin pie and peach skillet. Peach skillet is Marlin's favorite and he is always asking me to make it for him! He usually eats half the pie in on sitting! Thanks to my mother-in-law for teaching me how to make a good pie! I absolutely love the way she cooks/bakes! She is amazing in the kitchen! Besides getting to see my in-laws when we go up to PA, eating Arlene's cooking is the next best thing!

Yesterday it rained on and off all day! It's been pretty wet around here! I went and got a few groceries in town before lunch so I could make some potato soup! When I got home I took the groceries inside and went back out to get Little Marlin out of his car seat! I stepped on the first wet stair as I was going off the porch and all of the sudden my legs went out from under me and I went sliding down the stairs. I was shocked at first and I think it scared me more than it hurt. Today, though it hurts a lot worse. I have several bruised scratches all up and down the right side of my body and my back aches a little bit! I'll be just fine! I'm so thankful I was not holding my dear baby! He certainly would have gotten hurt very badly or maybe worse than that... yeah I'm really glad I wasn't holding him!

Marlin is still logging these days with his buddy Moses. I think Marlin really loves logging! He's and outdoor worker kind of person! lol

Marlin is so sweet! He still helps me with the dishes! I look forward to seeing him come home every night! We've been enjoying cuddling on the couch and watching old black and white movies while the baby sleeps! That must be, with out a doubt, the best part of my day! 

Sometimes I can hardly believe we have been married for a year and a half, and already have a little baby boy! Time flies by so fast, yet it seems like I've been with Marlin for ages! I'm so thankful for all the blessings that God has poured out on my family and I! I couldn't be more happy or content sitting here in my cozy little cabin knowing I have a sweet baby boy napping peacefully on the bed, a handsome husband out making money, and an amazing Savior that has provided a way for me to become the sons of God and spend eternity with him! Thank God he has paid and full the price for my sins. Someday soon he will come back and we will get to be with him for the rest of eternity!!!

Well, I hope every one that reads this is enjoying their day and having a merry and wonderful life! I sure am :)

Blessings to all!