This is a recipe by Empower Total Health, that I’ve made a few times now, varying between using beetroot and orange, depending on what I’ve got in stock!   It’s not only gluten free, dairy free and egg free, but it can also be nut free and doesn’t contain any added sugar!   Wow, you might be inclined to think that it’s also ‘taste free’ – I’ll leave you to decide on that, but we LOVE it and it went down very well with an Aussie visitor and her UK rellie recently.

I’ve reduced the amount of dates I use, added a banana and, as apples are also involved, there is plenty of natural sweetener in the recipe anyway.

So, here is my tweaked recipe …

Add to TM bowl and chop for 3 seconds / speed 4.  Set aside:

• 110 g walnuts OR sunflower / pumpkin seeds

Grind 20-30 seconds / speed 9, then set aside:

• 15 g linseeds

Blend for 10 seconds / speed 10:

• 150-250 g dates – according to how sweet you’d like it. (Alternatively, you could use date sugar:   see here on how to go about it – NB: US site = temps in Fahrenheit)*

Add to dates and blend 15 seconds / speed 10, scraping down the bowl and lid and repeating, if necessary – then set aside:

• 1 small beetroot –  or substitute for 80g or so of peeled orange

Add to the bowl and chop 10 seconds / speed 8, then cook at 90º / 8 minutes / speed 4 with MC off:

• 180 g apples or pears
• few tablespoons of water

Blitz speed 8 / 10 seconds, then scrape down the sides and lid

Add and blend  30 seconds / speed 8, using spatula to aid processing:

• 15g flaxseed/linseed, ground earlier
• Beetroot and date mix
• 400 g cooked / canned (kidney) beans
• 1 banana
• 2 tsp natural vanilla extract
• 30 g cacao powder (or organic cocoa powder)
• 100 g  gluten free flour
• 1 tsp bicarb of soda

Scrape down the sides and lid, then blend again 20 seconds / speed 8 until thoroughly mixed in.

Add and mix for 10 seconds on Reverse / speed 3:

• the chopped seeds from earlier

Spoon the mixture into a 30 cm x 25 cm tin and bake at 180º for 30-40 minutes or so, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

If you’re not ‘nut free’, top with Quirky Cooking’s almond ganache or carob icing or gooey chocolate icing or for a nut free option, try:  The Mindful Foodie’s chocolate coconut icing or Clever Cook’s “Another Frosting”.

Add a sprinkle of desiccated coconut before the topping sets and cut into brownies, then watch them fly off the serving dish!!!

* To convert from Fahrenheit to Centigrade, subtract 32, multiply by 5, then divide by 9 to get the Centigrade figure.  Or, just use Google to automatically convert, like I do!!!!

Some useful pointers about date sugar:  http://www.glutenfreegigi.com/resource/date-sugar-and-how-to-use-it-in-gluten-free-baking/