Monday, September 22, 2008
DARK, FUDGY OKARA BROWNIES
Mmmmmm...brownies!UPDATE: If you have no okara handy, you can make these brownies with black beans-- and, no, they do NOT taste like beans! Instead of the okara, use 1 cup UNSEASONED home-cooked black beans (or very well-rinsed canned black beans), with a little water (it should all fit in a 1 cup measure). DO NOT use the canned bean liquid, please!
NEW, STREAMLINED, ALMOST-FAT-FREE VERSION HERE!
I have to admit that I do not make use of the okara (soybean pulp) from making soymilk (and I make 2 batches at least twice a week) as often as I should. Yesterday, I had a chocolate craving (it was a bad computer day!), so I decided to try some ideas I had. I made three recipes and I will post the others if I think they came out well-- not sure yet!
But the brownies--this has got to be the most delicious way to use up some of your okara! DH declared these the best vegan brownies I've ever made! They are also pretty simple to make. They are cooked at a lower temperature for a longer time than most brownies to ensure the proper fudgy-ness without that yucky raw texture and taste.
NOTE: I squeeze and twist my okara in a large piece of cotton sheeting until I can get as much soymilk out of it as possible, so it is quite solid. To make this recipe come out properly, I recommend that you do the same. A very wet okara may result in disaster! This is what my okara looks like:
THE BROWNIES:
Printable Recipe
UPDATE: If you have no okara handy, you can make these brownies with black beans-- and, no, they do NOT taste like beans! Instead of the okara, use 1 cup UNSEASONED home-cooked black beans (or very well-rinsed canned black beans), with a little water (it should all fit in a 1 cup measure). DO NOT use the canned bean liquid, please!
NEW, STREAMLINED, ALMOST-FAT-FREE VERSION HERE!
BRYANNA'S DARK, FUDGY OKARA BROWNIES
Yield: 20 squares
FLAXSEED AND EGG REPLACER "GLOP"
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons flaxseed, ground in a dry blender or coffee/spice mill
(do not omit the grinding step!)
2 tablespoons Ener-G or Orgran egg replacer powder
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
1 cup light organic sugar
1 cup, packed brown sugar
3/4 cup, packed well-squeezed okara (soybean pulp from making soymilk)--
do not use very wet okara! See NOTE above.
4 oz (1/2 cup) melted vegan butter (try my homemade palm oil-free Buttah)
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
DRY MIX
1 1/4 cups organic unsweetened cocoa (yes.. that much!)
1/2 cup wholewheat or unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
OPTIONAL: NUTS & OTHER POSSIBLE ADDITIONS.
1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or other favorite nuts (you could also add organic dairy-free chocolate chips, dried fruit, etc.)
Preheat the oven to 300°F. (Yes, only 300°F! That is not a typo!) Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with oil from a pump-sprayer, or with cooking spray, and line it with cooking parchment, with the parchment going up to the the top of the pan on at least two opposing sides. This enables you to lift the cooled brownie (uncut) out of the pan with no muss or fuss.
In a food processor, process the water and ground flaxseed at high speed until the mixture is smooth, somewhat like egg whites. I call this "Flaxseed Glop". Add the egg replacer and beat until thick and foamy.
Add the Additional Ingredients (the sugar to the vanilla) to the Food processor and process until well-mixed.
Whisk together the Dry Mix ingredients in a wide medium-sized bowl. Scrape the food processor mixture into the Dry mix. Fold and stir briefly, just to blend. Fold in the nuts.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. Do not cut until the brownies are cool. You can lift the whole thing out of the pan, using the parchment liner, onto a cutting board . Use a very sharp serrated knife to cut into 20 squares.
Nutrition Facts (not including nuts or any other optional ingredients)
Nutrition (per serving): 194.6 calories; 41% calories from fat; 9.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 102.3mg sodium; 185.9mg potassium; 28.5g carbohydrates; 3.0g fiber; 21.0g sugar; 25.4g net carbs; 2.3g protein; 4.1 points.
Enjoy!
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21 comments:
wow! those look great. I wish I had a soymilk maker. so many good recipes out their with okara
These look amazing, Bryanna. I just got my new SoyQuick (thanks to you!) and I love how easy it is to make great soymilk. I'm going to be looking for ways to use up the okara, so I'm definitely going to make these brownies soon. Thanks for all the information and inspiration!
Glad you got it, Susan! Enjoy!
Bryanna's vegan cheeze rock!
:-)
I'm trying these brownies out now ... after 50 minutes at 300, they were still very under-done in the middle (toothpick was covered in batter) ... I've stuck them back in the oven (at 320 for a while?) - I know you say let them cool before cutting, but how done should they seem when you first take them out of the oven?
(okara was very dry, btw, almost crumbly)
never mind, 320 for another 8 minutes or so seemed to have done wonders. my oven's kinda crappy so it could be off, too.
they smell divine ... lol, you said no *cutting* before they cool, but you didn't say I can't dig in immediately with a spoon! :)
First, might I say that those brownies look incredibly decadent. I was wondering, since I unfortunately don't own a soymilk maker, is there any way tofu could be substituted for the okara in the recipe? If so, would the amounts differ? Thank you very much.
-Paleveganchild
Hi! I am making these yummy treats in Mexico (lucky me, but no Trader Joe's) so I will be using real egg instead of your replacer recipe. How many should I use? Also, many recipes using okara stipulate using only okara from a machine. I make mine on the stovetop so I am curious if I can get away with really squeezing it well or allowing it to drain in a seive overnight or something. Does it really make such a huge difference? Thanks in advance.
Jessica, I guess 2 medium eggs would be the right amount. I think stovetop soymilk okara is fine, as long as you squeeze it as dry as possible in a cloth like I do with mine. It does make a difference because of the moisture content, which is crucial with brownies.
paleveganchild-- sorry I forgot to answer your question! I meant to try this with tofu, but didn't get around to it. Perhaps finely-crumbled well-drained extra-firm tofu would work if you processed it until slightly grainy, but sticking together like the okara in the picture, but tghis is just a suggestion.
I have been completely over-run with okara since I got my new soyquick machine (which I LOVE!). These brownies were a total hit, and were probably the best I've ever made!
THANKS SO MUCH!
i was looking for a way to use my mountains of okara i've accumulated since i fired up my new soymilk machine and this is a great use! i winged it a bit as i didn't feel like squeezing water out of my okara, so i added less water in the other parts and i got lucky cuz it came out delicious! added less sugar as well as i like less sweet. very very yummy
These look INCREDIBLE. First came the jaw drop. Then there was the drool. Mmmmmm...
I don't have any okara on hand, would these come out with the same moist, fudgey texture if I used tofu (extra-firm silken)? And if so, would I need to alter the method at all?
I am super inspired. And now, hungry.
PS Out of curiosity, do the almost no fat brownies from your Almost No-Fat Holiday Cookbook have the same moist, fudgey texture? I live in fear of brownies with a dry or "cakey" texture. There's certainly nothing wrong with that, but when I crave a brownie, it's these fudgey squares of chocolatey yum with a decadent moist texture that satisfy my cravings!
PPS Apologies for all the questions, I really am just rather inspired by how delish these look.
No problem, Snenny! I just posted an update to this post, with a link to another post-- my black bean brownies, which is a variation of this one, so you might want to give that a try if you have no okara. They are delicious!
And, I too have sampled far too many dry, cakey vegan brownies, and a fair number of way-too-wet-and-undercooked-tasting ones as well! I have to say that my Almost No-Fat Brownies are moist and tender!
Be still my beating heart! Shopping trip tomorrow, black beans are on the list. *gleeful screenclutch*
PS Just made your 5-minute vegan microwave mug cake! YUM. Yes indeed. On tomorrow's agenda are the oven hash browns from your Almost No-Fat Cookbook.
Small update - the oven hash browns were appreciated by all the family, and the almost no-fat brownies came out a yummy, moist treat! To make a slightly larger quantity, and retain the amazing moist texture, do you think I could make the flour up to a 1/2 cup, and add in about a 1/2 cup of soy yoghurt? Or would that make them more rubbery? Apologies for all the questions, I'm a bit of a novice at using tofu in baking.
Wow! I'm always looking for different ways to use up okra. Your brownies looks absolutely delicious. I have got to try them. YUM!
Veganosaurus-- yes, this is my favorite way to use okara! If you want to use little or no fat, here is my no-fat, streamlined version of this recipe: http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/12/revamped-black-bean-or-okara-brownies.html
I'm writing from India... thank you so much for the recipe . I can't preheat my oven up to 300 ...250 is max, can I still try.
Vidya, it might work if you ad 10-15 minutes to the baking time.
Tragedy of tragedies... orgran have brought out a new egg replacer which is designed to allow you to make scrambled eggs, frittata etc. And my local stockist only has this variety and not the old one (which apparently still exists, thankfully, according to their website). So... I want to make brownies but will have to wait until we go to the "big smoke" an hour away :( Unless... can I use the flax goo with a bit more baking powder? And if you think yes, how much would a 'bit' be :)
BTW: Vidya would have had an oven marked in metric units (deg C) rather than (deg F) which is why it only goes to 250. She should be baking at 150 deg. Just thought to mention in case anyone else in the metric world is confused...
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