Mineral Rich Sweet Potato Brownies

I have mentioned in past posts that this is not the best time of year to be going on a ‘diet’ or a New Year ‘detox’. We should instead be looking at nourishing our bodies with home-cooked nutrient dense foods and broths that are mineral rich in order to replace nutrients we may have lost to over-indulging in alcohol or chocolate over the festive period.

I wanted to share with you my recipe for Sweet potato brownies that proved to be a hit with family members and the kids over Christmas. Gluten and dairy free, I adapted several popular recipes, wanting to limit sugar content without compromising taste or texture. To sweeten, I added only 5 dates (less than half that of other similar recipes) plus 2 tablespoons of mineral rich blackstrap molasses- high in natural calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium (at 1,463mg per 100mg!) and 4 tablespoons of Lucuma powder which gives a rich natural toffee flavour and provides extra potassium in addition to the sweet potato. Lucuma is rich in potassium, containing 1167mg per 100g, both can be bought from either your local health food shop or they’re available to buy online. The end result was a gooey, rich, toffee flavoured chocolate brownie, perfectly sweet enough for the fussiest of folks.

You’ll need:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 5 organic or medjool dates
• 4 tablespoons of almond butter (gently warmed to soften)
• 2 tablespoons of molasses
• ¾ cup of ground almonds
• 1/3 cup of oats (ground to a powder in a Nutribullit/Thermomix or similar)
• A pinch of salt
• ¼ cup of raw cacao powder
• 4 tablespoons of Lucuma powder
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C/375 F.
2. Add your cooked sweet potato with the wet ingredients: almond butter, molasses, vanilla and dates (cut into pieces) to either a food processor or Nutribullet/Thermomix to mix until looking smooth.
3. In a mixing bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and mix in your wet ingredients- you will end up with a stiff paste.
4. Line an 8-inch pan (I used a Pyrex dish) with parchment paper and grease well. Empty the mixture and smooth into the corners with a spatula.
5. Bake on the centre oven rack for 20 minutes. It may look a little underdone, but will firm up as it cools. Leave to cool for about 15 minutes before cutting and serving.