Espresso Truffle Brownies

Adapted from this gluten-free recipe.

• 1/2 cup dried black beans (this is the same as one 15.5 ounce can of cooked black beans, but this way there's no extra stuff in them, and cooking them with the coffee and vanilla helps them absorb those flavors)
  
• 1/4 cup coffee beans, finely ground
• 3 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 3 T coconut oil
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 cup diced dates
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips (the only not-healthy ingredient - I did use organic, but next time I'll make my own)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  

Soak beans. (I did the quick soak method: bring to a boil, remove from heat and keep covered for an hour.) Drain beans. Cover with 1 1/2 cups of water, add coffee and vanilla, and bring to boil. Boil gently, partially covered, until beans are tender, adding water if necessary.

While beans are cooking, place dates in small pot, just barely covered with water. Simmer to soften.

Place cooked beans (including juice and coffee grounds - should be about 1 1/2 cups), dates (drained), eggs, and coconut oil in the blender. Puree. (If your blender is struggling, add a bit more coconut oil.) Add cocoa and baking soda and blend until mixed. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Pour batter into greased 8x8 baking pan. Bake at 350 until top is dry and sides begin to pull away from the pan (20-25 minutes).

Brownies will be gooey when they first come out of the oven. This is, of course, not a bad thing, but you won't be able to serve them as a bar. Once they've sat for a day or so they have a fudgie-brownie-meets-truffle consistency and taste even better. My only other tip: don't mention they have black beans in them until people have tasted them. You can't taste the beans, but some folks would be too squeamish to try them.