Black Bean Chocolate Cookies

Yes, that's right...I am still on the black bean hype. What can I say; I had leftover beans, so I had to use them up somehow - and what better way than a batch of fresh chocolate cookies?



I found the recipe from Eliza's blog over at Eliza's Edibles, and just had to try it for myself (despite adapting the ingredients somewhat) using all the leftovers of my chocolate cake from the day before - the ingredients being:

200g black beans
4 tablespoons almond milk (the original recipe suggest 2T - I had to add more due to the dry consistency of my batter)
1.5 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons coconut oil (Eliza used olive oil - perhaps this is why my consistency wasn't quite right)
1 tablespoon coconut flour (Again, Eliza used 3T wholewheat flour - so my recipe could be considered faulty on various levels. However, the internet informed me that coconut flour is more absorbent in comparison, thus you should divide the original measurement by 3 if you're subbing it for normal, wheat-based flour. And I trust the internet more than my own judgement, obviously)
2 tablespoons agave nectar (same thing again; she used 1/2 cup plus 1T sugar. I'm anti-sugar... thus agave)
1 teaspoon baking powder (nothing has changed here. Did wonder why there were no eggs in original recipe if there's baking powder? Is that a stupid query? I don't understand baking)
Half a vanilla pod (or 1t. vanilla essence, pick as you choose)
Pinch cinnamon
Pinch salt
30g dark chocolate chips (90%, the Lindt stuff as per)

I will say this now: the food processing trick absolutely failed me this time. I don't know what happened, but save to say I was pretty disappointed after the triumph of using it the day previously. Lesson has been learnt; don't always trust the food processor, and a bit of elbow grease is sometimes the best way to do things, even in 2013.

You can choose the food processor option as your own risk - it took a lot of shaking (the blender, I mean. Despite my fury, I was not physically shaking) and forking to get the batter looking a little less... bean-y. I blended everything at once (except the dark chocolate chips - another error of my ways, probably.



Pre-heat your oven to gas mark 6 (erm, 375C?) line your baking tray, grease with oil and chop up your dark chocolate into random sized chunks. The consistency of your batter should be stodgy-dodgy enough to roll into balls (I managed to get 16 out of the mixture) and place on your baking tray with no risk of sloppy-ness. Chuck in your chocolate chunks with fairness to each and every cookie, and place into the oven for 15 minutes - though mine were in a little longer as they were too soft for my liking. Even so, they crisp up considerably once left to cool.



And there we have it; a batch of happy, gooey, healthy chocolate chip cookies, perfect as a supper treat with a cup of milky tea or a glass of delicious almond milk. Me and baking have a love-hate relationship at the moment - it's all a bit new and exciting and weird, to be honest, not to mention a rather 'trial and error'..especially when I decide to change 80% of the original recipe's ingredient list. All in a day's work. Do you have any recommended baking recipes, or even any tips or trick of the trade to share?