Friday Recipe ~ Brownies (with unique ingredients) by Nancy Lynn Jarvis!

Hi L.A., thanks for hosting me again. 

You asked why I love this recipe. It's because I realized when I take my copy of Cozy Food off the shelf, it flops open to contributor Joyce Oroz’s Sweet and chewy gluten-free brownies made with black beans!!

I don’t need to be gluten-free, although I have friends who do which is why I started making this recipe. I keep making it because it’s so good. The trick is to leave the brownies in the refrigerator overnight. I have no idea why this causes the flavors to blend into something delicious, but it does.

Sweet and chewy gluten-free brownies made with black beans from Joyce Oroz

"I am a gluten-intolerant mystery writer, so I love gluten-free recipes. I bake most of my sweet treats myself and pop them in the freezer for later. My protagonist, Josephine Stuart tends to follow suit, but she has little time to waste—with all the crime going on around her. She loves simple to make, but scrumptious baked items.

One of Josephine’s favorites is this recipe for chocolate brownies made out of black beans. She loves the whole idea of eating beans that taste like chocolate. It’s like eating dinner and dessert in the same bite, saves time too. She loves to bake them—so easy to make, and keeps a stash in the freezer for chocolate emergencies.Sweet and chewy gluten-free brownies made with black beans (but you'd never know it from the taste)! So simple and amazingly delicious!" ~Joyce

Yield: 16 squares

Ingredients
2 cups cooked black beans (or 1 can, rinsed and drained)
3 eggs
1/3 cup melted butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup honey)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor bowl or blender, combine the black beans, eggs, melted butter, cocoa powder, vanilla, and sugar. Pulse or blend until smooth (or as smooth as possible).

2. Grease an 8x8-inch glass baking dish. Pour the batter into the greased dish. Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts (if using) over the top and use a spatula to push them down into the batter just a little (but not too much; they will sink some while the brownies bake).

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until brownies are set in the middle. Watch the edges for excess browning if you're not sure they're done. (Mine seem to take a full 50 minutes or more, and are still chewy but not gooey.)

Cool and then chill before serving! Store in fridge.

Blurb:
What happens when 128 cozy mystery writers get together to do a cookbook? You get more than 220 recipes that are as diverse and interesting as an amateur sleuth’s day job.

Regional recipes come from every part of the United States and England — a couple find their way from Australia and Italy, too — and from diverse times. There are recipes from people looking to keep gluten out of their lives, eat vegetarian, or make a treat or two for their furry four-legged friends. And yes, there are recipes that appeal to the sweet tooth, lots of them, in fact.

There’s no mystery about what happens when cozy writers get together. They bring the wit, inventiveness, and adventure found in their books right along with their recipes.

Buy:
Amazon | Nancy Lynn Jarvis

Bio: 
Nancy Lynn Jarvis left the real estate profession after she started having so much fun writing the Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries series that she let her license lapse. 

After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, Nancy worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News. A move to Santa Cruz meant a new job as a librarian and later a stint as the business manager for Shakespeare/Santa Cruz at UCSC.

Currently she’s enjoying working on a new series called PIP Inc., hosting Airbnb and getting ready to start having writer retreats at her house, and being a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and Santa Cruz Women of Mystery.

Find Nancy Lynn:
Amazon | Facebook | Goodreads