Black Bean Brownies

I know, black bean brownies?? Really?  Yes, I say really!  This is another recipe I got from the chocolatecoveredkatie.com blog - I have to warn you as I did last time, this blog makes me want dessert every time I go there.  This recipe turned out great.  The boys and my husband all loved these and had seconds.  This was even AFTER I told them there were black beans in there!  I brought the 2 remaining brownies to work and shared them with my coworkers and they were a hit at work too.  So without further ado..... black bean brownies!

• 1 1/2 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder- dutch or regular  (add a little extra if desired)
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (Honey will work, I used the maple syrup we got from our trip to Montreal this past summer)
• 2 tbsp sugar (or omit and increase maple syrup to 1/2 cup - next time I will probably increase the maple syrup instead of using sugar)
• 1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil (I used the vegetable oil, but I would like to try these with applesauce instead.)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup chocolate chips (the original recipe says: Not optional. Omit at your own risk.  I used the 1/2 cup and honestly I think you could get away with even less)
• optional: more chips, for presentation (I didn't use extra)

Black Bean Brownies Recipe: Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Really blend well. (The original recipe indicated that "a blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture—and even the taste—will be much better in a food processor".  I used a blender and blended for several minutes and it didn't seem to matter to the people that ate them.) Stir in the chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Cook the black bean brownies 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. Makes 9-12 brownies.  I cut them into 12 pieces.  I also cooked them for the full 18 minutes and think maybe they could have been cooked a little longer.  These came out really fudgy and they don't rise or have a brownie like texture, so if you are funny about food texture these might not be for you.  I had only 1 because they were rich enough that was all I needed.  The boys on the other hand had anywhere from 2 to 4!