When I was younger, possibly a teenager my Nanny gave me a birthday card and it is one which not only is very funny but one that I have never forgotten. On the front it simply had an illustration of a green avocado, and the text read “It’s you birthday” and the inside it said “avocado” (as in ‘ave-a -card-o)!It made my Mum and I laugh out loud when we saw it, especially when we could envisage my nanny standing in a card shop, probably without her glasses on, holding the card really close to her eyes to read it, and then laughing to herself at the punchline!
Anyway, that little trip down memory lane leads me to this recipe. You see I unexpectedly received a package of avocados through the post a few weeks ago – it is not the strangest thing `I have ever received, but still, no idea why or from whom but there they were half a dozen avocados. Anyway, it is not a food we eat much in my house. I used to give it to my boys when they were weaning, but to be honest, that was probably the last time I bought any!
So as not to waste these gifts, I decided to incorporate them into some baking instead, so that way I could offer my boys some yummy cakes that contained some hidden goodness. After all avocados contain high levels of vitamin E, iron and potassium. Plus they contain monounsaturated fat which is said to help lower cholesterol.
I have seen several recipes which have avocado within the ingredients list,I would never have guessed that avocado could be incorporated into so many different recipes! Cheesecakes, mousses, cakes and ice creams, but in the end I decided to go with brownies because …… well because they are so delicious!
Here is my easy recipe for avocado and chocolate brownies.
- 2 ripe avocados
- 250g unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 200g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence/extract
- 75g cocoa powder
- 175g self raising flour
- 75 dark chocolate chips
- pre heat the oven to 180oC / 160oC (fan)
- line a brownie tin with greaseproof paper
- melt the butter over a low heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes
- meanwhile mash the avocado - or place inside a food processor and whiz into thick puree
- in a clean mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients and pour over the melted butter
- beat it all together
- add the eggs and the vanilla essence/extract and beat again
- then beat in the avocado, eggs and chocolate chips until all mixed in to make a gooey chocolate batter
- pour into your prepared tin
- bake on the oven for 35 - 40 mins approx until the top has browned and just set, but the brownie still has a slight wobble
- leave to cool in the tin
- carefully remove after it has cooled, and cut into 16 squares
They tasted so good and the middle was all squidgy and fudge like, just as a brownie should be. The avocado may well have contributed to this fudgyiness. You could not taste the hidden fruit at all, but it did add a lovely depth of flavour and it went down very well with my family. So if you find yourself with some over ripe avocado, do some baking and make a-cake-o!!
Yum these look amazing. x
Wow, I would have never thought of using Avocado for baking, but they look super gooey and tasty!
Ooooh Jenny, they look so good!!! Plus with the hidden veg they really are good for you 🙂 xx #CookBlogShare
I would never have thought of putting avocados in brownies, but I can really imagine that working and what a great way to sneak some extra goodness into the family’s diet!
I never baked avocado, but I should as your brownies look yummy.
I love avocados, and they definitely do contribute to the fudginess in a chocolate cake, and your brownies look so gooey!
How funny that you got a load of avocados and don’t know where they came from! I’d be happy if that happened to me!!! These look amazing. Avocados can be used instead of eggs so I wonder if you could omit the eggs and still get a good result! Must try it sometime.
Wow I bet the avocado makes them extra squidgy! I’d love to try them 🙂 Thanks for linking to #CookBlogShare
Oh these look great. I’ve made avocado chocolate mousse before which was great, but never tried it in a brownie. Must give this a go! #CookBlogShare
these look so gooey and yummy – how fab that they have avocado in!