Amazing Black Bean Brownies Recipe(Courtesy of Ania Catalano)

This is a recipe I just tried last night for a flourless brownie. Flourless because it is made with BLACK BEANS!! Yes, that is right, black beans. I thought it would be really gross, but I thought I would give it a try anyway. This recipe is courtesy of Ania Catalano from her book "Baking with Agave Nectar : Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener." They are only really good when cold. When they are warm you can definitely taste the beans, but when cold you can't. Also, if you use instant coffee you might want to use a lot less than in the recipe because the coffee taste is really strong. Kids probably won't like that. My husband hates coffee and I think it was too much for him....decrease amount of coffee if you don't like it. This is from Ania Catalano's book "Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener."

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 45
• Yields: 45 brownies

Ingredients

• 4  ounces  unsweetened chocolate
• 1  cup unsalted butter
• 2  cups  cooked black beans, drained well (canned is fine)
• 1  cup walnuts, chopped
• 1  tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 cup instant coffee (or granulated natural coffee substitute)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 4  large eggs
• 1 1⁄2 cups  light  agave nectar (honey can be used if you can't find agave, but agave is better)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 11 x 18 inch rimmed baking pan(sheet pan or jelly roll pan) with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spray.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, coffee substitute, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the agave nectar and beat well. Set aside.
5. Add the bean/chocolate mixture tot the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well.
6. Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using and electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated).