Chocolate Surprise Bars

This amazing recipe for these delicious and surprising treats comes from a blog I follow called skinnytaste.com. The author, Gina Homolka, introduced this recipe just before Valentine's Day and I have been "testing" it on kids and grown ups in preparation (all with great results) for Cooking Class ever since! In case your child didn't already tell you, these "brownies" are made with black beans and are completely gluten free! (More commentary on the recipe at the end of the post.) And, they are so easy to make...you just put ALL the ingredients in a food processor and whirl! 

Before I added this to the cooking class curriculum, I brought a sample in for Mrs. Dory to try. When I explained that these brownies were made with black beans, she proclaimed that using an unexpected ingredient like black beans in a familiar food can be a "growth experience." Well, well, well. Who knew? She also suggested that I rename them, so that the kids wouldn't expect to taste a food exactly like brownies; hence the new name 'Chocolate Surprise Bars.' Also, to take the element of surprise a bit further, I thought it would be fun for the Thursday classes to share a batch of these little delights with each of the Friday classes (since school was closed due to the Staff Development Day on Friday). So, the Red Room surprised the Blue Room, the Green Room surprised the Yellow Room, and the Orange Room surprised the Purple Room with a plate of Chocolate Surprise Bars!

Here is the food processor all loaded up with our ingredients. We didn't even use a mixing bowl!

Here, we are adding baking soda...

Here we are sprinkling some chocolate chips on top of the batter.

The Red Room admires their creation before we put it in the oven! The parchment paper was helpful for easily removing the whole thing from the baking dish before cutting it into squares.

So, I have to share with you that nearly everyone asked for seconds...even my toughest customers. In addition, this recipe was also extremely popular with the staff! 

Chocolate Surprise Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 (14 oz) canned low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon oil
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk (or dairy, skim)
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground coffee or instant coffee
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided (Hershey's)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Grease a nonstick 9 x 9-inch square baking pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.

Blend the black beans, eggs, cocoa powder, sugar, oil, almond milk, balsamic, baking soda, baking powder and coffee in the blender until smooth and pour into a bowl. Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips until combined.  Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips evenly over the top of the brownies.

Bake the brownies until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 to 32 minutes.  Allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing them into squares.
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Some mildly entertaining background information about the black bean brownies:

So, years ago, I came across a recipe for black bean brownies. When I read that the main ingredient was black beans, I couldn't believe my eyes. I remember thinking, "If a person can make brownies with black beans, then maybe...just maybe...anybody can do anything!" Alas, I am sorry to report that They.Were. Awful. And, after one bite, the whole thing went straight into the garbage can. I honestly can't remember how that recipe differed from this one, but there are 2 additional ingredients in this recipe that provide interest and probably "save the day" for these delicious treats. First, balsamic vinegar is uniquely used as a leavener, (the ingredient that helps your baked goods rise)...and second, coffee is used to enhance the flavor of the cocoa (obviously, I used decaf when cooking with the kids in class). 

Fast forward 5 years to this long, arduous, frustrating winter of 2014. When I saw this recipe on skinnytaste, I immediately decided that I would make these brownies, but I knew my husband wouldn't like them...at all... and that is putting it mildly. And, the reason, my friends, is not because he doesn't like to try new things, because he does. The reason is not because they don't taste good, because they do. The reason is simple: Guy is a purist. Maybe you are married to a purist...maybe you, yourself, are a purist. There is nothing wrong with being a purist--in many ways, it is quite commendable. Guy does not want his shrimp frozen; he does not want gluten free pancakes; he does not want coconut milk in his cereal; and he does not want black bean brownies. He wants a delicious, gooey, rich, chocolate-y, brownie made with all the ingredients that people expect to find in a brownie from an exceptional bakery. Except I won't make them that way. That is just not how I roll. And, he is totally okay with this. I think...

So, my husband recently got a new job which requires him to travel internationally for 2 weeks at a time. And, regarding the brownies, I did what any normal wife would do: I made them while he was gone. I made them on Valentine's Day, during the snow storm, and shared them with a gaggle of kids and neighbors...and everyone loved them. And, no one could believe they were made with black beans. 

Fast forward to the next snowstorm (which was probably the next week) and I made them again, for a different group of kids and grown-ups, all with raving reviews...except husband was home this time. After arriving home from work, he sees the brownies on the counter and says: "So, what did you make here?" After a dramatic pause..."Delicious brownies, try them." No sir. No ma'am. Not Guy.

So, now after my neighbor texted me to ask if I thought that these brownies could "count as a vegetable" and now, after many, many kids (and grown-ups) have willingly offered their praise of these unique little chocolate treasures, I can reconsider my original position: "If you can actually make delicious brownies with black beans, then...for sure...anybody can do anything!"