Black Bean Coconut Brownies
Yield – 16 brownies Preparation Time – 20 minutes Cooking Time – 40 minutes
Ingredients
• 3 cups pureed black beans (I filled up the blender to the 4 cup line and added a little water)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened) (and optional)
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
• Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.
• Puree black beans with a little water. I went for a “smoothie” like consistency.
• Add the sugar to the mixer or mixing bowl and then pour in the pureed black beans. Mix until smooth, adding the vanilla and milk as it mixes.
• Dump in all the dry ingredients, flour, cocoa, powder, soda and salt.
• Mix up, then toss in the coconut and chocolate chips.
• On the lowest speed, mix in the coconut and chocolate chips for 10-20 seconds.
• Pour the brownie batter into the greased pan and bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean in the center. Let cool on a cooling rack before cutting.
Read more: http://www.5dollardinners.com/2010/06/black-bean-coconut-brownies.html#ixzz1gESkyfxi

Pinto Bean Fudge

1 cup cooked soft pinto beans (drained and mashed)
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp vanilla
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate
6 Tbsp butter or margarine
2lbs. powdered sugar
nuts (optional)
In a large bowl stir beans and milk together, adding enough milk to resemble mashed potatoes; stir in vanilla. Melt chocolate and butter and stir in bean mixture. Gradually stir in powdered sugar. Knead with hands to get it well blended. Spread into lightly buttered 9-inch baking dish or form into 1-1/2 inch rolls. Chill 1-2 hours.





Flourless Black Bean Brownies
Preheat oven to 350 F
Oil or spray an 8x8 square pan.
1 19oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 Eggs
3 Tbsp. Veg. Oil
1 tsp. Vanilla
¾ c. White Sugar
¼ c. Cocoa Powder
1 Pinch of Salt
Optional: ½ c. Chocolate Chips and/or nuts
Process beans in food processor or blender until very smooth. Add eggs and beat the mixture with a hand mixer on med. To high for at least 1 minute. Add all other ingredients and beat on high for another minute.
Pour into baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is dry and the edges are pulling from the pan. Allow to cool then cut into squares.
Blueberry Bean Muffins
Makes 1 dozen
2 cans (15 ounces each) Red Kidney beans or 3 cups cooked dry-packaged Red Kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1/3 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/2 teaspoon allspice, ground
1/2 teaspoon cloves, ground
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
Preparation
Process beans and milk in food processor or blender until smooth.
Mix sugar and butter in large bowl; beat in eggs and vanilla. Add bean mixture, mixing until well blended. Mix in combined flours, baking soda, salt and spices. Gently mix in blueberries. Spoon mixture into 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups; sprinkle with pecans.
Bake muffins in preheated 375-degree oven until toothpicks inserted in centers come out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes; remove from pans and cool.
NOTE: Although B.E.A.N. recipes usually call for a specific variety, any canned or dry-packaged bean variety can be easily substituted for another.
Per serving: Calories 288; Fat 10g; Calcium 46mg; % Calories from Fat 31; Carbohydrate 43g; Folate 49mcg; Sodium 500mg; Protein 8g; Dietary Fiber 5g; Cholesterol 64mg
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Dessert Hummus
Ingredients:
• 2 cups chickpeas
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• Drain, measure, wash, and peel your chickpeas. Peeling them isn’t absolutely necessary but it makes for the creamiest hummus and really is worth the effort.
• In a food processor, add the first 4 ingredients and process until the hummus is smooth and emulsified(the one thing no one wants for dessert is chunky chickpea pieces in their dessert).
Remove and lick the blade and fold in the chocolate chips. Move into a deep serving bowl and serve with graham crackers or baby carrots.
Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip (and Bean!) Cookies
vegetable oil cooking spray
1 12 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
12 tsp baking powder
12 tsp baking soda
14 tsp salt
34 cup white beans (drained great northern cannellini or any white beans liquid reserved)
3 tbsps softened butter
1 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed)
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. In blender, process oats until finely ground but not powdery. Combine with flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In a clean blender, puree beans and 2 tbsp reserved bean liquid until smooth. Combine bean puree, butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl and beat well. With the mixer on low speed, beat in oat and flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips by hand. Drop batter (by the tablespoon) onto baking sheets. Bake 15 to 17 minutes until centers are firm and edges are lightly browned. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

This recipe reminds me of pancakes and waffles we'd make growing up. The mix you make up ahead of time and keep in the freezer. When you want to make pancakes or waffles, add the remaining ingredients, whip up and bake.

Whole-Grain Pancake/Waffle MIX

3 1/2 c. Whole Wheat Flour
3 1/4 c. White Flour
3/4 c. Sugar
1 Tbsp. Baking Soda
1 Tbsp. Salt

Mix together in a large bowl with a wire whisk until evenly distributed. Put into airtight container and store in the freezer.

Optional
Try using all whole wheat flour or other flours in this recipe.
or
Add 1/4 c. Flaxseed Meal or Wheat Germ to the mix for added graininess!



Whole-Grain Waffles

3 c. Whole-Grain MIX
3 c. Buttermilk or Sour Milk
3 Eggs, separated
1/4 c. Oil or melted Butter

Put egg yolks in bowl with the remaining ingredients and stir. Whip up the whites in a separate bowl until stiff. Fold into the main mixture and then bake in hot waffle maker.

Whole-Grain Pancakes

1 1/2 c. Whole=Grain MIX
1 1/2 c. Buttermilk or Sour MIlk
1 Egg
2 Tbsp. Oil or melted Butter

Combine wet ingredients in one bowl, then add dry ingredients. Blend well and let stand for 5 minutes. Cook on hot griddle.

Hidden Bacon....and Eggs

This Fried/Poached Egg & Bacon combo that Mom used to make us for breakfast, was and still is a Clark Family favorite! HIDDEN BACON is the title the Wimmer Grandchildren have given it. It is simple because everything takes place in one pan. It is great served up solo or placed on top of an English Muffin or toast.

Ingredients

1/2 pkg. Bacon (any kind)
6 Eggs
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Oil or Butter (if needed)
1/4 c. Water

1. Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat.

2. The grease from the bacon will help to keep the eggs from sticking, but if there is too much pour some off. Likewise, if there is too little (such as with turkey bacon), you may need to add a little oil or butter.

3. Once the bacon has cooked to an almost crispy stage, arrange the pieces in a spoke-like pattern in the pan, with one tip of each bacon strip meeting in the center of the pan and the other tip touching the edge of the pan.

4. Crack one egg into each space of the bacon "spokes". Flatten the yolk with the rounded end of an eggshell or if you like a more "over-easy" egg, leave the yolk as is.

5. Add Salt & Pepper if you wish.

6.. Add about 1/4 cup water to the pan and cover with the lid. This will create steam. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the yellows of the yolk are light in color and the whites have become opaque.

7. Using a spatula, section off a serving of egg with 1 or 2 bacon strips attached (hidden)!!

Getting Organized

I have always wanted to type up recipes I have laying around on random bits of paper or scraps of napkin, etc. So, this year I am going to get organized and just DO IT!!! And why not hit 2 birds with 1 stone and type them up here on a blog! That way if someone wants the recipe, I can easily steer them to this blog and they can have at it.

I'm also in the process of organizing a recipe book for my family reunion coming up this summer...I hope to have home cookin' recipes we all remember from our childhood organized in this book, along with little blurbs of memories, cooking tips and tweeks to recipes, old traditions, new traditions and more!

All recipes posted here are NOT SECRET....I believe in sharing! Just the same, I also believe that credit should be given to the source, to the creator, as best as can be done! So, I will always give reference as to where I FIRST heard/read/tasted of each item posted here. If I am ever in the wrong in this, I sincerely hope that someone corrects me by posting correct information under the corresponding recipe!!! I don't want to go to extremes with this...it's supposed to be fun...enjoyable...tasteful...just trying my best!!!

Enjoy....and happy Cooking!!!