Fudgy Chickpea Squares With Chocolate Ganache

How do you call a delicious treat that has a fudgy texture, the appearance of a chocolate ganache brownie, a melt-in-your-mouth richness, and chickpeas as a main ingredient? That was the question I asked my wonderful friends who happily agreed to be recipe testers for my various kitchen experiments. While gobbling down those scrumptious squares, we brainstormed suitable names and this is what we came up with. Because these chocolate delights are neither fudge nor brownies nor anything else we could have borrowed the name from, their luscious twilight zone can be considered a one-of-a-kind bliss for the taste buds. They are free of gluten and refined sugars, but rich in fiber, protein, and antioxidants. Can you taste the chickpeas? No, not at all! You really have to try them to believe it!

You will need:

• food processor or blender
• 9 x 9″ (22 x 22 cm) baking dish

Ingredients:

• coconut oil for baking dish

For the batter:

• 1 cup (240 ml) plant milk
• 1½ cups (7 oz/200 g) dried, pitted dates
• 2 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
• 3 oz (90 g) food grade cacao butter, chopped
• 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
• ½ packed cup (1.8 oz/50 g) cacao- or cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 10 oz (280 g) cooked chickpeas
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp Celtic sea salt
• generous ½ cup (70 g) chopped pecans

For ganache:

• 4.3 oz (120 g) food grade cacao butter
• 1 generous Tbsp virgin coconut oil
• 2 oz (55 g) unsweetened cacao- or cocoa powder, sifted
• 5 Tbsp maple syrup
• two 5.4 fl oz (160 ml) cans coconut cream

Topping options:

• coconut shreds
• cacao nibs
• chopped pecans

Preparation:

1. Grease baking dish.
2. In a small saucepan, bring plant milk and dates to a simmer, then turn off heat. Add coconut oil, cacao butter, and ground flaxseed. Set aside for about 20 minutes until cacao butter has melted.
3. Set oven temperature to 350°F/175°C.
4. Place all the batter ingredients, except for pecans, either into your blender or food processor. Pulse until a hummus-like texture is achieved, fold in chopped pecans, and scrape batter into prepared baking dish.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
6. For the ganache, melt cacao butter and coconut oil either in a double boiler or use the double-bowl method to simulate it:
   place cacao butter and coconut oil in a medium-size, heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water into a slightly smaller heatproof bowl or pot and place the medium bowl on top of it. It takes about 10-15 minutes for the cacao butter and coconut oil to melt.
7. Sift cacao or cocoa powder into the melted cacao butter and coconut oil, add maple syrup, and use a whisk to thoroughly combine.
8. In a small saucepan, heat coconut cream, but don’t boil. Gradually whisk cream into the liquid chocolate and stir for 1-2 minutes until thoroughly combined.
9. Pour ganache over the baked chickpea base and distribute evenly.
10. Let cool down a bit before you add toppings.
11. Chill covered in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Cut into small squares and enjoy!

Notes:

• Perfect to freeze pre-cut in an airtight container.
• You could also add a layer of lengthwise halved ripe bananas before pouring the ganache on top.