Two Ingredient Pumpkin Brownies

This recipe caught my eye because I'm really trying to get my toddler to eat more vegetables, and if it comes in the form of brownies, so be it.  I'll take what I can get!  An added bonus is that I can eat them, too without feeling like I'm eating pure sugar.  At least there's a hefty amount of vitamin A and fiber in there that tags along with the pumpkin.  And it's ease can't be beat.  And I had both ingredients on hand, and I suspect many other people do as well.

One thing you need to keep in mind is that these are not exactly brownies.  They are, as the title says, two ingredient pumpkin brownies; that is exactly what they taste like.  They are dense, moist and have a distinct pumpkin flavor.  But that's not to say that they aren't good; they're just different.  So don't plan to serve them as a plated dessert with homemade whipped cream or premium ice cream on top.  Your guests will be..."surprised."  The flavor isn't delicate enough to qualify as dessert.  These things are sturdy and robust.  They are brownies with attitude.  I like to eat them as a snack, like a stand in for a granola bar.  They even make a good friend for a strong cup of coffee first thing in the morning.

Here they are:

One 15 oz can pumpkin
One 19 oz size box brownie mix.

Bake in a 13 by 9 in pan at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Mayan Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Ever since I tasted Marcus Samuelsson's recipe for Chocolate Cinnamon bread from his cookbook Discovery of a Continent, I have been enamored with the combination of chocolate and cinnamon.   The ancient Mayans, too, were on to something good when they combined the two to make a spicy but not too sweet hot chocolate drink with cinnamon.  Apparently this is an ancient elixir that thrilled the palate of people long since past, not just me.  I love both flavors separately, but together they are heaven.  So from this tried and true marriage of flavors emerged my idea of a "Mayan Chocolate Chip" Pancake recipe.


I find plain pancakes a little, well, boring.  As cooks we do all sorts of things with cookies, breads and muffins.  But pancakes (yes, I admit, a good pancake with maple syrup and butter is pretty darn good, just very...expected) we tend to leave alone, unless we add a few blueberries or chocolate chips to the batter.  But why not get creative with them and see what we can do? With a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder and a tsp of cinnamon, as well as a hefty scoop of chocolate chips, I found a thrilling new way to make pancakes.  My daughter, almost two, agrees (no syrup necessary)!  See her mouth well smothered in chocolate?  That's from the still gooey warm chocolate chips that just barely melted.  Heaven!

To make these, I used my trustworthy old Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook recipe that makes a very fluffy, tender pancake.  Here is the recipe for these ooey-gooey breakfast gems:

Mayan Chocolate Chip Pancakes
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbs sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tbs oil

Directions
In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, chocolate chips, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl use a fork to combine egg, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened.  

For standard-size pancakes, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet, spreading batter if necessary. Cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden brown, turning to second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Serve warm. 

These would be delicious with whipped cream (add cinnamon, vanilla, or cocoa powder to the whipped cream if you like), butter, or a touch of chocolate syrup.  Alternately you could sprinkle them with powdered sugar and cinnamon.  But they are perfectly good plain, too!

Blueberry Chia Pudding

Though a pudding traditionally brings to mind dessert, because this paleo-inspired recipe has no added sweeteners it can really work for breakfast, too.  The chia gives it protein, and the gelatin helps to thicken it and give it an extra nutritional boost (read here about the benefits of gelatin.  Knox Blox anyone?).  Personally, I don't really enjoy the not-completely-thickened textured of puddings that just use chia, so I decided to add gelatin as well.

Blueberry chia pudding

1/4 cup chia seeds

1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk 

1 packet Knox gelatin

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup blueberries, smashed

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1.  In a large bowl, combine the chia seeds and almond milk and give it a healthy stir.  The seeds won't begin to gel until they have been sitting in the milk for a bit, so don't be surprised if they settle to the bottom of the bowl.  This is okay; you will stir again later after they have gelled.  Set your bowl of milk and seeds aside.

2. In a small saucepan, pour your 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil.  This shouldn't take long at all with so little water to heat.  

3.  Once your water boils, turn off heat and pour in the gelatin; stir until completely dissolved.

4. Pour your gelatin water into the bowl with the chia seeds and milk; stir to combine.  At this point your chia seeds will have started to gel a bit and should remain suspended in the bowl after stirring.  

5.  Stir in your smashed blueberries and vanilla, and leave to chill overnight in the fridge.