Thursday 17 July 2014

Chocolate Banana Brazil Brownies - of sorts

Not even I, queen of self-deception when it comes to the calorific content of food - specifically cake - can pretend that these Chocolate Banana Brazil Brownies (sort of) are healthy, but they are very, very good. 

And if you want to do what I normally do and subscribe to the notion that fruit = 'healthy' in a cake context, these do have bananas in (squishy ones at that) and brazil nuts - which I always count as 'health' food after reading Nigella's homage to chocolate coated brazil nuts...



These started life, recipe-wise as Dan Lepard's Banana Blondies, from 'Short & Sweet' but it was too hot to start making toffee, and I didn't have any white chocolate in the cupboard...

Chocolate Banana Brazil Brownies

100g unsalted butter
200g milk chocolate chips
225g caster sugar
1 large egg
2-3 squishy-ish bananas (200-250g) chopped
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
225g plain flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
100g brazil nuts, roughly chopped  

Line a 20cm square loose-bottomed tin, and pre-heat the oven to 170C.

Gently melt the butter and chocolate together, then scrape into a large bowl.

Add the sugar, the egg, vanilla and banana to the chocolate, and beat together till smooth ish (a few larger bits of banana will be fine.

Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl, add the brazil nuts and fold in.

Scrape all this into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 mins till the top is light, but there's still some squidge underneath. 



Leave to cool in the tin before cutting into squares.



15 comments:

  1. Definitely yummy and would do wonders for my mental and emotional health. I don't think I've eaten a brazil nut for years and that's got to change. And thank you for using the word brazil without mentioning the world cup, of which I have had very much more than enough.

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    1. Phil if you look carefully you will find absolutely no mention whatsoever of that particular sporting event in these pages. I am a football free zone! Brazil nuts are my faves - trouble is, if I open a pack to use some, I end up snacking my way through the rest fairly swftly, so they don't last long round here...

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  2. This sounds ridiculously delicious = calorie free.

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  3. As far as I'm concerned, I'm going to eat 3 pieces and say I've had 6 of my 5 a day ;)

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    Replies
    1. Yes, that's the attitude I was taking too...

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  4. I love it, this is exactly the kind of thrown together brownies I like to make too. Gorgeous!

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  5. Ah, Brazil...I long for the World Cup again..

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    1. I don't, I'm afraid! Brazil nuts do it for me!!

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  6. Fruit, nuts and antioxidant (not even sure what that means!) packed chocolate - I don't see a problem? Must be health food.

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  7. I've made Dan's white version which were fab, but yours looks rather good too. And do remember the health benefits of chocolate ;-)

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  8. This sounds so good and is a great way to use bananas.

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  9. How I wish I had a slice of that now. Actually forget that, I want the whole tin!! x

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  11. These look absolutely fantastic and a great marriage of flavours too. I just experimented with chocolate cheesecake brownie but these will definately be the next challenge!

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