Dried plums are nutrient-dense, easy to store and add a healthy balance to offset the decadence of chocolate.
As zero-waste cooking expert Christine Tizzard notes in her innovative dessert recipe from Cook More, Waste Less: Zero-waste Recipes To Use Up Groceries, Tackle Food Scraps, And Transform Leftovers, “dried plum” brownies does sound better than “prune” brownies. “I should have called them ‘Healthy Brownies,’ since they pack a good punch of fibre,” she writes. “Not only should we be eating prunes more regularly for their soluble and insoluble fibre, but they also have potassium and boron, which is great for bone health.” If that doesn’t convince you, the rich flavour they add to complement the chocolate should do the trick.
Tizzard makes her chocolate ganache with milk, but the brownies themselves can be made vegan or gluten-free. Vegan alternatives are noted in the ingredient list. Pass the prunes, please!
Chocolate and Dried Plum Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 1⁄2 cups pitted prunes
- 1⁄3 cup chopped (or chips) semi-sweet or dark chocolate
- 1⁄4 cup neutral-flavored oil or melted butter
- 1⁄3 cup sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 tbsp Pure vanilla extract
- 2 eggs or 1 tbsp + 2 tsp Aquafaba
- 2⁄3 cups all-purpose flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum added
- 1⁄4 cup cocoa powder
- 1⁄2 tsp baking soda
Chocolate Ganache
- 1⁄4 cup milk
- 2⁄3 cup chopped (or chips) semi-sweet or dark chocolate
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line or grease an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan. Place the prunes in a medium-size bowl. Cover with 2 cups of boiling water and let sit for 10 minutes to soften.
- In a small heavy-bottomed sauce pot over medium heat, melt the chocolate with the oil, sugar, and salt, stirring occasionally. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Drain the prunes and place in a blender or food processor along with the cooled melted chocolate mixture. Blend until puréed.
- Whisk the eggs in a small bowl. With the blender running on low speed, slowly add the eggs and blend until fully incorporated.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Stir in the chocolate purée and mix until incorporated. The batter should be quite thick.
- Drop the batter into the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 25 minutes or until set. Let cool in the pan.
Chocolate Ganache
- While the brownies are cooling, make the ganache by heating the milk in a small saucepot over medium heat until steaming.
- Place the chopped chocolate in a separate bowl. Pour the hot milk overtop of the chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. Whisk until you have a silky icing. Pour the icing evenly over the brownies. Let cool, cut into squares, and enjoy!
