Thanks to our friends at the organic and natural food store As Natured Intended, we are sharing with you a series of plant-based recipes covering all courses from a pre-dinner snack, through to main courses and desserts. For those who have not heard of Aquafaba before, it is a "magic" ingredient according to As Nature Intended! It is the brine that comes with a can of chickpeas and serves as an alternative to egg. Here is a simple but delicious recipe for fudgy brownies made from this magic ingredient...!

Fudgy brownies made with Aquafaba

Ingredients (Makes 18 brownies)

• 200g dark chocolate (60-75% cocoa), broken into chunks
• 150ml plant-based milk
• 150g vegan margarine
• 330g plain flour
• 110g cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 500g powdered sugar
• ¾ tsp baking powder or leavening agent
• 6 tbsp water
• A pinch of sea salt
• 3 tbsp thick aquafaba (if your bean-juice is too watery, reduce it until it turns the same consistency as egg whites)
• Optional: You can also add 2 tbsp of organic ground flax seeds

Method

1. Heat your oven to 180°C and line an oven dish with parchment paper (18cm x 28cm).
2. Put 150g chocolate and the margarine in a medium-sized saucepan and let them melt over a low heat. Once melted, add in the milk, until it’s fully incorporated.
3. Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and sea salt in a large bowl (and the flax seeds if you want)
4. Add the chocolate and margarine mixture, water and aquafaba to the dry ingredients. Mix all very well (better if you use a mixer), until everything is incorporated. Then add the remaining 50g of chocolate.
5. Tip the batter into your prepared oven dish.
6. Smooth the top with a wet spatula and bake it in the centre of the oven for about 30 mins. You’ll see that the top is firm but the centre is sticky – that’s exactly as it should be!
7. Leave the brownies to cool in the tray, then cut into 18 pieces.

Enjoy!

Originally published at https://www.asnatureintended.uk.com/ on April 3, 2019, republished with permission