Flourless Zucchini Brownies and Photo Mishaps
This post was meant for Monday. Or Tuesday. Or Wednesday. Heck, or even Thursday. But here it is halfway through the day on Friday.
Happy Friday!!!
The reason why it took so long, besides my insane schedule, is because I was still smarting from the loss of all my photos of the hard work I did over the weekend in the kitchen. I destroyed my kitchen as a furiously prepared and roasted a chicken, wiped down the counters, washed dishes, and moved on to cut veggies and make brownies. Flourless. Zucchini. Brownies. And then after all that was said and done what did I have to show for it? Well, the food of course. But does that really matter if you (the reader) can't see it? No, it's like I made imaginary food. Damn it.
{Kitchen Mess}
So what happened? Don't worry, I'm going to tell you.
While trying to make some adjustments on my camera to take the final photos of my Flourless Zucchini Brownies, I found myself in the "format card" section of the menu. The camera diligently reminded me that if I choose to format I will lose all my photos. Well, of course I don't want to do that, I think to myself. AND THEN... I pressed "ok" instead of "cancel." What the what! So I used my trusty iphone to snap a photo of the brownies and debated whether or not I would post about them. Posting finally won. As you can see.
Now keep in mind, these brownies aren't going to taste like your traditional brownies. I mean, come on, there is no flour and minimal sugar. We don't live in a magical world here, people, where healthy brownies taste JUST like gooey sugary buttery brownies. (When you find that world please send me an invite.) BUT, for a healthy (and protein packed) treat these are great! AND they just might satisfy your brownie cravings. I adapted these brownies from Delighted Momma's recipe of the same name. She's got a lot of great recipes on her site that fall into the category of "Paleo." My CrossFit Coach would be so proud!
Flourless Zucchini Brownies
adapted from Delighted Momma
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup finely grated zucchini (I use a cheese grater)
1 1/4 cup salted almond butter
1/4 cup raw honey (use 1/3 cup if you like things sweeter, these aren't very sweet)
1/2 teaspoon stevia (optional)
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate bar
1 egg
dash salt
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grate zucchini and place in a paper towel. Squeeze the zucchini in the paper towel to remove the excess water.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Making sure they all combine nicely.
Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper. Spray parchment paper lightly with canola spray oil.
Place batter in pan and smooth down using a rubber spatula.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Do not over bake or they will become cake like and dry.
I have to say I was surprised with how these came out. They were a consistency somewhere between brownie and cake and I was shocked that that texture could come out of the ingredients that were used.
Also, they are quite yummy. Enjoy!
Peace, Love, Treats, and Happiness!