Beet-Walnut Brownies--Happy New Year!

Beets are not really a favorite of mine.  I'll eat them mixed in with roasted vegetables, pick at them on a salad but they just aren't something I enjoy.  I appreciate the fact that they are chock full of phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and potassium, as well as fiber, vitamins A and C, niacin, etc.  For me however they are like a distant friend or relative that you know you should visit with because its the right thing to do but with whom you don't really enjoy hanging out.  When I saw this recipe for Beet-Walnut Brownies in the October issue of Shape magazine, I thought it would be a good way to "sneak them" into something I do like, chocolate.  Fairly low in calories and bursting with nutrients from the beets and walnuts they seemed like a good way to kick off the New Year.

Beet-Walnut Brownies

Grace Young, Shape, October 2008
Serves: 9

Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 38 minutes

"You can't taste the beets here, but they enhance the brownies' chocolate flavor."

Cooking spray
½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
8 large egg whites
1 cup canned, sliced beets, drained and diced
¾ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly coat an 8-inch square metal baking pan with cooking spray. Using a fine sieve, sift cocoa powder and 1/3 cup sugar to remove lumps. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on the highest speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar until just incorporated. Gently fold in half of the cocoa mixture. Fold in remaining cocoa mixture, then beets and nuts. 


Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until top is cracked and slightly puffed and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack 5 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pan and invert brownies onto a rack. Immediately flip onto a second rack (so brownies are top-up) to cool. Cut into nine bars. Store brownies in a plastic container and refrigerate for up to three days.

Nutrition Score per serving: one 2½- by 2½-inch brownie - 151 calories, 7 g fat (40% of calories), 1 g saturated fat, 19 g carbs, 6 g protein, 3 g fiber, 23 mg calcium, 2 mg iron, 87 mg sodium

Notes/Results:  My brownies turned out a bit puffier than pictured and my beets and walnuts kind of sank to the bottom making the bottom center a bit gooey. The edges turned out the best (why one of the corner brownies is pictured). I also realized I don't have a square metal pan and had to cook them in glass so I don't know if that affected the texture. (Remember NOT A BAKER!) The overall flavor is very good and chocolaty.  I didn't get a beet flavor but there is a taste that "reminded" me of beets but if I wasn't looking for it I probably would not have noticed it.  I still prefer a more fudgey brownie but you can certainly eat these and feel at least a little less guilty about it. (Good for those New Year's resolutions!)

Hope everyone is having a good and relaxing New Year's Day.  Here is to a very happy, healthy 2009 to you all!

Don't forget tomorrow is Tyler Florence Fridays--if you want to start the year of with the Tyler recipe of your choice then come join us here.  

If you have a favorite soup, stew, chili or other comfort food dish, join me for Souper Sundays.  Leave a comment of send an email with a link to your posting and I'll add you to Sunday's line up.