Not So Naughty Chocolate Brownies

Rich, sweet and gooey in the middle, chocolate brownies are perhaps one of the most indulgent treats there is. This is my attempt at making them just a little less naughty whilst trying to keep that rich, fudgy flavour and feeling of indulgence.

You will need:
250g pitted dates, roughly chopped
300ml hot water
125g plain flour
75g cocoa powder
2 tbsp of sucralose based sweetener
1 tbsp vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
0.5 tsp baking powder

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 150°C.
2. Add the dates to a bowl and pour over the hot water, allow to soak for 20 minutes before draining the water into a jug and setting aside for thinning the batter later.
3. Add the dates to a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth.
4. Add the flour, cocoa powder, sweetener, vanilla extract and salt to the blender then pulse until smooth. If the mixture is too dry add some of the date water, a little at a time, to thin it out.
5. Add in the baking powder and pulse until incorporated.
6. Pour the mixture into a greased 20cm square pan, ensuring an even coverage.
7. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, allow to cool in the tin before cutting.

Notes:
These will keep for days in an airtight container, though they’ve never really hung around to find out exactly how long for.