Beans instead of oil or butter in baking ????

morganlefay

I've just found a Youtube video about cooking unsoaked white beans in an electric pressure cooker (I wanted to know how long to cook them in my non-electric one) but when she had cooked her beans the American woman on the video whizzed some of them with water which she says she uses instead of oil in a brownie recipe (she had a packet mix - it looked like Betty Crocker) and she also bagged some of the up to use in cakes instead of butter. Am I going mad ? Has anyone heard of being able to do this ? It would be a very healthy option if it worked, but it sounds very unlikely. I wish I had kept the link....

thursdaynext

If you're tempted to experiment, can I suggest Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache by Harry Eastwood?

She has come up with recipes that replace the butter in cakes/scones etc with veg - courgette, potatop, sweet potato, aubergine, parsnip, carrot, butternut squash... I have made several of the things since I got the book for Christmas and honestly, they are just like 'proper' cake!

They're still full of sugar unfortunately, so you can't just eat cake for the rest of your life!

(No mention of beans, but the principle's the same I guess!)

lickylonglips

http://growingbolder.com/blogs/living/cooking/beans-replace-shortening-in-yellow-574841.html

Murrell

thursdaynext wrote: »

If you're tempted to experiment, can I suggest Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache by Harry Eastwood?

She has come up with recipes that replace the butter in cakes/scones etc with veg - courgette, potatop, sweet potato, aubergine, parsnip, carrot, butternut squash... I have made several of the things since I got the book for Christmas and honestly, they are just like 'proper' cake!

They're still full of sugar unfortunately, so you can't just eat cake for the rest of your life!

(No mention of beans, but the principle's the same I guess!)

Hi,

Sounds a good book. Are any of the recipes egg free?

Thanks in advance
Sandra

liz545

I've never tried it, but I have seen this recipe for brownies that use cooked black beans to reduce some of the fat in the recipe. I've had great success with her recipes in the past, so it's got to be worth a go!

frivolous_fay

I read somewhere that in the US they also use liquidised prunes as a fat substitute

( don't mind prunes, personally )

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Aduki beans are really nice pulped. They're used in such lovely things as mochi rice cakes in Japanese cooking. They have a slightly 'figgy' taste.

Slinky_Malinky

I am going to have to have the Harry Eastwood book. I would also love to find some recipes (preferably a cookbook) that use beans/pulses in baking. Any suggestions?

LondonDreamer

Murrell wrote: »

Hi,

Sounds a good book. Are any of the recipes egg free?

Thanks in advance
Sandra

I have the book (which I also recommend - one of my favourites) and checked. Excluding things like jams and cordials, the only recipes that are egg free are scones. There are about six different ones and they all sound yummy so it may be worth a look, but all of the cake recipes themselves use eggs.

Alison_Funnell

frivolous_fay wrote: »

I read somewhere that in the US they also use liquidised prunes as a fat substitute

( don't mind prunes, personally )

Yep you can buy jars of the puree here, though it's kinda easy to make. Gives cakes a good mouth feeling.

liz545

Just found this blog which gives directions using a packet of brownie mix
http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2008/09/bride-of-frankenfood-black-bean.html
and this one, that doesn't, but they look good too! I'd substitute the agave nectar for honey, if that's what you've got to hand.
http://happyherbivore.com/2009/05/vegan-blackbean-brownies/