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Thursday, August 29, 2019

Hershey's Fig Brownies By Kimi Darlene Gerred

Hershey's Fig Brownies

To be painfully honest... I had to learn to cook by myself in June 1980 cause I just didn't like to be in the kitchen with anyone else when Mother asked if I wanted her to teach me to cook. I just felt crowded in the kitchen if anyone but my kids were in there with me. With today's modern world a kitchen island would have solved all of that just because I would have had some work space to myself!

I took many of Betty Crocker recipes and made them my own since I didn't allow my mother to show me around the kitchen.

When my doctor took me off of a lot of unhealthy foods I've just learned to improvise... I replace everything with healthy oils, zero calorie, low calorie or healthy sweeteners only as long as they are ALL healthy... even the low calorie sweeteners! I don't measure anything.. but the guess work is easy..

I took about a healthy cup of figs, put them in the food processor until they formed a ball, then I put them in a pan of about 1 cup of safflower oil/olive oil (I would have used 1/2 coconut oil & 1/2 almond oil if I would have had it on hand) then, I added about 1 1/3 cup of Hershey's all natural cocoa powder, about 4 tablespoons of powdered eggs and 1/3 cup of water (you can substitute the eggs and water part with 5 small eggs), about 1/2 cup of half caff french roast coffee,(at this point, I put everything back into the food processor to puree the figs even more (with the exception of the Hershey's cocoa as I added it right after I got everything incorporated) and about 2 cups unbleached flour. Work it all together until it looks like a fudge ball. Pat it out into a greased baking dish (Pampered Chef is my favorite choice) until it is smooth and even. Place in preheated oven at 350 for 35-45 min (depending on your oven, pan and humidity).

That is a close to my guesstimation as possible I believe. If the dough seems to wet.. maybe add a bit more flour. I would have used almond flour if I would have had it. You can also add a 1 tsp of vanilla if you like but I didn't add it in mine since I added the coffee. I don't like my sweets ... super sweet like my sister does.. But you can certainly add more sweetener (more figs, stevia, honey, cane sugar or something healthy) to it if you like it sweeter.

Agave would also work for another type sweetener, maple syrup would also be a great sugar substitute. You would just have to watch the texture to make sure it doesn't get too liquidy with syrups like maple or honey. The honey is also going to make foods a bit softer rather than crisper. I like Zylitol to sweeten if I'm not doing keto because Zylitol has only 1/3 of the calories of sugar, but it feels, tastes, looks and acts like sugar. Again, the dry texture of stevia or zylitol will change the texture of the recipe.

Hershey's Fig Brownies By Kimi Gerred

1 Cup of Pureed Figs
1/2 cup warm coconut oil
1/2 cup warm almond oil
5 eggs (and 1 tablespoon of Mayonnaise *optional)
1/2 cup of half caffeinated french roast coffee (or your favorite flavor)

Blend in food processor until smooth. Then add to mixture:
1 1/3 cup of Hershey's natural cocoa powder
2 cups of unbleached flower or almond flour
1/4 tsp of Himalayan salt
1 tsp of Vanilla (optional)

Mix until thoroughly incorporated. Pour contents into a greased baking pan (I use Pampered Chef bake-ware). Place in preheated oven at 350 for 35-40 min. (depending on weather, oven, and dish).