Deceptively Delicious Brownies

My little guy (he's 20 months) is actually a pretty good eater.

But I'm perfectly aware of what he likes and what he doesn't. For some reason, he no longer wants to have anything to do with carrots. He used to love them as a baby, but now? Not so much. Go figure.

He also used to love spinach. I haven't tried lately, but my guess is that he'd purse his lips, shake his head, and throw it on the floor. Since I don't enjoy cleaning food off the floor more than I have to, I decided there had to be a better way. A few years ago (before I was even married), I saw Jessica Seinfeld on Oprah. She had just come out with her cookbook Deceptively Delicious. I obviously didn't have much use for it yet, but I knew it'd come in handy one day. So I went out and grabbed a copy. And I was right.

I found this recipe in there and gave it a whirl.

Here's the thing.

They're not overly sweet like most box brownies, but they still satisfy that brownie craving. Plus, it's healthy. Like for real. A healthy brownie. That tastes good.

Each brownie has only 133 calories and 3 grams of fiber.

Like it says in her book, "That's just crazy for a brownie!"

And if my opinion isn't enough to sway you into trying them, how about this for proof?

Mmmm.... good carrots and spinach.

Deceptively Delicious Brownies

(Original recipe by Jessica Seinfeld)

(photo source)

Spinach puree:

Saute spinach leaves (make sure to cut off stems, or use baby spinach) in pan with 1 Tbsp of water for about 90 seconds until wilted. Puree in food processor or blender.

Carrot puree:

Steam carrots until tender. Puree in food processor or blender.

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• 1⁄2 cup carrot puree
• 1⁄2 cup spinach puree
• 1⁄2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread (I used butter)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large egg whites
• 3⁄4 cup oat flour, or all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Directions

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. (or microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted).
3. In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and creamy, 1 to 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 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 bars.