Volunteered by Velvet Underground's Amy (Function Junction, Whistler)
INGREDIENTS
½ cup (8 teaspoons), chia seeds - blended and mixed with ⅔ cup water to make a gel
4 cups nut pulp (the pulp/meal leftover from making almond or hazelnut milk or sub almond meal for a similar result)
1 cup (100g) dutch cocoa
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
170g dark chocolate (we use East Van Couverture Dark Chocolate)
½ cup of coconut milk
125g of coconut oil (melted)
2 cups date puree (make this by soaking dried dates in warm water for half an hour or more, then blend)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
12
Serve the next day or keep in an airtight container
METHOD
Prep Chia-Egg. Grind the chia seeds into a meal in a blender or spice grinder. To the meal, add ⅔ cup of water, stir with a fork and set aside for 5 minutes.
Preheat. Set the oven temperature to 350°F.
Melt. In a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate and coconut oil and stir to combine.
Mix. In a large bowl, combine the chia egg and all other ingredients before adding the melted coconut oil/chocolate mixture and stir through.
Transfer. Using a spatula or back of a spoon, spread the brownie mixture evenly across a lined 13" x 9" pan (or one of similar dimensions).
Bake. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes.
Be cool. These are best left to set and fudge-up in the fridge overnight.
Original recipe from Amy Rafferty of the Velvet Cafe
Photos by Amy Rafferty