Cooley Family Farm

Yes… that’s right…. brownies with spinach and butternut squash. Quite a while ago I saw some recipes for spinach brownies. The recipes I saw called for spinach and carrots. My supply of carrots is pretty low this time of year, but Kevin still has a lot of butternut squash in storage from last fall and he is picking some beautiful new spinach now. I think butternut squash is my favorite sqaush… it seems there is nothing it can’t do! Well… my experiment worked out because the brownies turned out great!!!

I sprinkled a little powdered sugar on top to make them look “fancy”. But they really didn’t need it.

Here is my version of the Spinach Brownie recipe:

Brownies (with Spinach and Butternut Squash!)

Nonstick cooking spray
3 oz semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butternut squash puree (instructions below)
1/2 cup spinach puree (instructions below)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup Self Raising flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat an 8″ x 8″ baking pan with cooking spray. Melt the chocolate in in microwave starting with about 30 seconds… stir, then 15 seconds… until the chocolate is melted.

In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate, spinach, butternut squash, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine and vanilla and whisk until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.

Whisk in eggs. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 bars.

If you eat them warm you taste more of the vegetables. If you let them cool or refrigerate them they just taste like chocolate brownies.

Butternut Squash Puree
I cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash halves skin side up in a baking dish. Bake at 400 for about an hour or until very tender. Scoop the squash out of the skins and it is ready to use.

Spinach Puree
Thoroughly wash the spinach. I snap off the larger stems. I put a small amount of water in a skillet on the stove over medium heat. In small batches I add spinach to the skillet and cook them for about a minute and a half. Place the wilted spinach in a blender or food processor and puree.

Enjoy!!
Tracy