Dark Chocolate Date Brownies
Inroduction
About this Recipe
By: Sheridan Rogers
Light and more-ish, these dark chocolate date brownies are gluten-free. For a sugar-free option, use Cravve or Ghirardelli sugar-free chocolate.
Ingredients
- pitted dates 1 1/2 cups (200g)
- 70% good quality dark chocolate 50g, melted
- vegetable oil 1/4 cup (60ml)
- maple syrup 1/3 cup (80ml)
- vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
- almond meal 2/3 cup (80g)
- good quality dark cocoa 1/4 cup (25g)
- bi-carbonate of soda 1/2 teaspoon
- free range or organic eggs 2, beaten
- Lindt Orange Intense 100g, broken into squares
- unsalted butter 60g
- honey 2 teaspoons
- flaked almonds 2 – 3 tablepsoons
Preheat oven to 180degC (160deg fan forced). Line a 27cm x 17 cm tin rectangular tin (or 20cm square tin) with baking paper. Place 1 cup of the dates into a medium jug and cover with boiling water. Leave 15 -20 minutes to soften. Roughly chop the remaining dates. Return softened dates to the jug with some of the soaking water, add the melted chocolate, oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth using a hand-held blender. In a medium bowl, mix together the almond meal, cocoa and bi-carbonate of soda. Add the date mixture, chopped dates and eggs and mix well to combine. Spoon mixture into prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake 25-30 minutes or until cooked but slightly fudgy. For the Chocolate Glaze: place the chocolate, butter and honey in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool 5 – 10 minutes. Spread over the brownie and scatter with flaked almonds. Cut into squares. Tip: If you use the Lindt Orange Intense chocolate for the topping, it will add a delicious orange flavour.