{recipe} Fudgy Chocolate Porter Ale Brownies

People love to combine chocolate and Guinness in recipes – even me! But what about porter ale? Will no one think of the porter ale? Porter ale goes really well with chocolate, too, especially in these brownies. I like my brownies fudgy and dense, and these definitely fit the bill.

You might notice something weird about this recipe, which is that instead of eggs, oil, butter, and the like, I have used a pureed can of black beans. I first tried using black beans in brownies for health reasons, but truth be told, I love the texture it creates – super fudgy and rich. Plus, it means these brownies are dairy-free and egg-free, which is helpful for some of the folks I know with dietary restrictions.

Recipe: Fudgy Chocolate Porter Brownies
makes one 9×13 pan

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 15 oz. can black beans
• 1 12 oz. can porter-style beer (I used Maui Brewing Co. Coconut Porter)
• 1 1/2 cups flour (can use whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• Rinse beans in a colander until the water runs clear. Put the rinsed beans in a blender or food processor and puree well. Add a few splashes of the beer and keep mixing until the puree is smooth, about the consistency of cake batter.
• Combine flour, cocoa powder, sugars, salt, and baking powder and stir well. Add bean puree, remaining beer, and vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until brownies are mostly cooked through but still a little soft in the middle (they will continue to cook as they cool.)
• Cool in the pan and cut into squares when cool.
• These are best at room temperature with ice cream, and will keep in an airtight container for a couple days.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy…

• Guinness Chocolate Cake 
• Millionaire’s Chocolate Truffle Torte
• Samoas Ice Cream Cake
• Betty Crocker’s Toffee Bars