Deceptively Delicious Brownies

I recently purchased the cookbook, Deceptively Delicious, by Jessica Seinfeld, and have been pureeing up a storm and trying out new recipes that are healthy and pretty good, too!

Here is a recipe for brownies that I tried and served at a little party that actually have spinach and carrot puree in them!!! Wow!!! I know! They really are pretty good. I do have to admit that I had to mentally talk myself into liking them. I mean, I had to try to force myself to not think about the spinach in them. . . and I love spinach!! But really, under icecream, I could not at all tell there was spinach in there. They have a pretty nice texture to them and great chocolate taste. Just don't eat them warm; it isn't until they have completely cooled that the spinach taste goes away completely. The kids at the party ate them up and loved them!

As is mostly the case, I am realizing, I change the recipe based on what I have on hand. I have put off to the side in red the changes I made when I baked these. Keep in mind this makes just an 8x8 pan, so double if you want a 9x13.

Here goes:

Brownies
(recipe from Deceptively Delicious)

Nonstick cooking spray

3 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup carrot puree*

1/2 cup spinach puree**

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbsp. trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread (I used butter, didn't have margarine)

2 tsp pure vanilla extract (I learned from Cook's Illustrated that few people can taste the difference between pure and imitation, so I always use imitation)

2 large egg whites (I used one whole egg- I hate wasting the yolks- maybe my cholesterol shows that!)

3/4 cup oat flour, or all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8x8 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or over a very low flame.
3. In a larg bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine, and vanilla and whisk until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes.
4. Whisk in egg whites. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon.
   
5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35-40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 bars.
   

The note below the recipe in the book says this:

These brownies are low in calories (only 133 per brownie) and saturated fat. They're also packed with 3 grams of fiber (which is just crazy for a brownie!), while spinach and carrots provide two powerful antioxidants that help your kids' eyes stay healthy.

* Preparing the carrot puree: Peel, trim the ends and cut into 3-inch chunks. Steam for 10-12 minutes. In a food processor or blender puree for about 2 minutes, with a few teaspoons of water if needed for a smooth texture.

**Preparing the spinach puree: No prep at all for baby spinach. For mature spinach, fold leaves in half lengthwise with the stem outside, then strip the stem off the leaf. Steam for 30-40 seconds, or cook in a skillet with 1 Tablespoon of water for about 90 seconds, or until just wilted. Puree in a food processor or blender for about 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.