This recipe comes from the new book Spilling the Beans by Julie Van Rosendaal and Sue Duncan. Did you know you could bake with beans? This recipe is a great introduction to baking with beans but the book also includes recipes for scones with red lentils and banana bread with white beans!

Black Bean Brownies

Makes 16 brownies

These are the full on real deal. Nobody has ever detected the merest hint of a bean in these, nor given a damn once told. Use good-quality chocolate; you’ll be happy you did.

1 cup (250 mL) rinsed and drained canned black beans (half a 19 oz/540 mL can)

1 1/4 cups (310 mL) broken pecan pieces (optional)

1/2 cup (125 mL) butter

2 oz (60 g) unsweetened chocolate

1/3 cup (80 mL) all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup (185 mL) sugar

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

2/3 cup (160 mL) good-quality chocolate chips, or a 3 1/2 oz (100 g) bar good quality bittersweet or semi-sweet dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°f.

Spread the rinsed black beans out on a double thickness of paper towel and blot them gently to remove as much moisture as possible. Leave them uncovered on the counter until you need them for the recipe.

Spread the pecan pieces (if using) on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant and very lightly browned, about 6 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a small saucepan set over very low heat, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate, taking care not to let the mixture scorch. Whisk to combine, then remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and salt together and set aside.

Place the dried-off beans and the cooled butter/chocolate mixture in the bowl of a food processor, and process until very smooth, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla; process again until combined. Scrape the mixture into the flour mixture and fold gently, leaving streaks of flour still visible. Add the pecans and chocolate chips and fold to just combine.

Pour the batter into a lightly buttered (or sprayed, with non-stick cooking spray) 8-inch square pan, and smooth the top. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes: the batter should no longer jiggle when the pan moves, but any toothpick inserted would be very chocolatey indeed. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. The brownies will need to cool awhile, unless you want to eat them with a spoon directly from the pan (we’ve done it). Otherwise, cut them when they’ve cooled, and store in the refrigerator if you like a dense texture, or at room temperature if you like them softer.

Today is election day in Canada and what better way to celebrate our democracy than with mousse (except perhaps moose, but I don't have a recipe for that right now). Here is Rose Murray's recipe for Maple Yogurt Mousse from A Taste of Canada. The recipe even includes a handy 2 hour break giving you enough time to run out and vote!

Maple Yogurt Mousse
This light-and-easy dessert is creamy-textured but low in fat. Yogurt adds a pleasant tang that balances the sweetness of the maple syrup.
Makes 6 servings

1 envelope unflavourted gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup whipping cream
Additional whipped cream
walnut halves (optional)

In a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin into the cold water. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir over low heat until the gelatin is dissolved. Stir in the maple syrup and remove from the heat.
Add the yogurt and milk, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks; fold into the maple mixture. Pour into stemmed glasses and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. If desired, garnish each serving with a small dollop of whipped cream and top with a walnut half.

I wish I could say I wasn’t alone in this situation, but it seems like everyone at the Whitecap office has their costume all planned out. We’ve got a bag of cotton candy, a Britney Spears (circa 1999), and even a double rainbow!

If you’re scrambling last-minute like me, you may also be looking for a Halloween-themed appetizer to bring to wherever this haunted holiday is taking you. Luckily, I can help! These mini cheese balls from Everyone Can Cook for Celebrations by Eric Akis are quick, include ingredients that you can find at any grocery store, and are sure to be a hit!

Mini Cheese Ball Pumpkins

I turned the mixture I used to make a regular cheddar cheese ball into these bite-sized mini cheese balls. When coated in crushed cracker crumbs and pushed down in the center, the squat shape is reminiscent of a pumpkin. Serve them as is, or set them on thin crackers. You can make these up to a day in advance.

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: None

Makes: 24–30 pumpkins

8 oz (250 g) brick cream cheese, softened
1 cup (250 mL) grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup (60 mL) very finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup (60 mL) walnut pieces, very finely chopped
2 tsp (10 mL) hot horseradish
1/2 tsp (2 mL) Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt, or to taste
1/2 cup (125 mL) finely crushed orange-colored crackers (see Note)
24 pieces green bell pepper, each 1/2 inch (1 cm) long and 1/8 inch (3 mm) wide

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the cream cheese in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until lightened. Mix in the cheddar cheese, onion, walnuts, horseradish, Worcestershire and salt. Lightly dampen your hands with cold water. Shape the cheese mixture into 3/4-inch (2 cm) balls and set on one of the baking sheets.

Place the cracker crumbs on a wide plate. Coat one of the cheese balls in the crumbs, gently pressing them on to help them adhere and shaping the ball so it has a nice round shape. Set it on the clean baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cheese balls. Gently push down in the center of each cheese ball to give it a pumpkin shape. Make a stem by inserting a piece of green pepper into each cheese ball. Tent with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cheese balls at least 2 hours before serving.

Note: I use goldfish crackers for the coating, but any crisp, orange-colored cracker would work. I crush the crackers in a food processor; 1 cup (250 mL) of these crackers, when crushed, yielded the crumbs I needed to coat the cheese balls.

Eric’s options: Instead of walnuts, use pecans.

Recently a good friend of ours gave us a slow cooker for the office. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, as this Fall we are publishing the sixth book in Eric Akis’s Everyone Can Cook series: Everyone Can Cook Slow Cooker Meals!

Yesterday, the Whitecapettes and I—all nine of us—decided to try out our first recipe from the book. We chose the Vegetable Tikka Masala because of its (relatively) short cook time (and because one of us is vegetarian). Everyone brought in two ingredients, stone soup style, and in the morning we threw it all in the cooker and let it sit.

The tikka masala turned out great and left the whole Whitecap office smelling amazing all day. Thanks to Phil for the slow cooker and Eric for the recipe!

Group Shot, slow cooker meal

Did you know?: “Tikka” means “chunks of chicken” in Hindi.

Vegetable Tikka Masala

Makes 6 servings

This is a vegetarian version of a dish made famous in Britain. It’s usually made with chicken. The whipping cream in the curry-laced sauce in which the vegetables are cooked gives it a silky texture and, of course, a divinely rich taste. I like to serve this dish with slices of cumin seed flatbread (see Eric’s Options for Rosemary Flatbread in Everyone Can Cook Slow Cooker Meals).

1 cup (250 mL) tomato sauce
1 cup (250 mL) vegetable stock or water
1 cup (250 mL) whipping (35%) cream
2–3 Tbsp (30–45 mL) mild, medium or hot curry powder
1 tsp (5 mL) cornstarch
18 small to medium cauliflower florets
10–12 miniature red-skinned potatoes, each quartered
1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced on the bias
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp (30 mL) peeled, chopped fresh ginger (see About Fresh Ginger on page 30)
2–3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (250 mL) frozen peas
Salt to taste
3 Tbsp (45 mL) chopped fresh cilantro or sliced green onion

Place the tomato sauce, stock, cream, curry powder and cornstarch in your slow cooker and whisk to combine. Mix in the cauliflower, potatoes, carrot, bell pepper, onion, ginger and garlic. The mixture will look thick, but moisture will seep out of the vegetables as they cook, so don’t be tempted to add extra liquid. Push down on the potatoes to ensure they are submerged in the liquid. Cover and cook on the low setting for 5 to 6 hours, or until the vegetables are tender. Mix in the peas, cover and cook for 10 minutes more, or just until the peas are heated through. Season the tikka masala with salt. Sprinkle servings with chopped cilantro or sliced green onion.

Tomorrow is Canada Day and what better way to celebrate than with food? This year Canada turns the big 1-4-3 and if you’re heading to a birthday celebration for this beautifully scenic country don’t forget this Strawberry Shortcake from Rose Murray’s A Taste of Canada:

The beloved Canadian author, Edna Staebler, made Mennonite country cooking famous in Food that Really Schmecks (1968 and commemorative edition, 2007). From that book comes this “old-fashioned biscuit-dough shortcake recipe” that remains a favourite because it is so quick and easy. You can update it with fancy creams or add interesting flavours to the fruit, but the shortcake itself is delicious. When Edna was well enough to travel, we would visit friends on a farm near Owen Sound each year during peach season. Edna would make her shortcake and take along a lovely basket of Niagara peaches from the farmers’ market. For years I have made it for my Canada birthday parties to which Edna would always come wearing her red and white Capri pants! So, partly in her unique prose, here is the shortcake that I will continue to make (although I do like to split it and add whipped cream with the fruit).

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar (approx)
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup shortening
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk or sour milk*           

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With 2 knives or a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. Add the buttermilk and mix just enough to make sure the dry part is moistened. Spread the dough out in a greased 13- x 9-inch (3.5 L) pan—“quite a large flat one—or you can use half the recipe and put the batter into a 9- x 9-inch (2.5 L) square one.” Sprinkle with additional sugar and bake in the centre of a 400°F (200°C) oven until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 20 minutes. “Serve warm and smothered with sugared berries or sliced peaches. You don’t need to split it and butter it or slather it with whipped cream.” Makes 12 servings.

*In Mennonite country cooking, nothing was wasted, and if the milk was past its prime, it was used in the recipe. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can sour milk by placing a tablespoon (15 mL) lemon juice or white vinegar in a glass measure; fill it with milk to the 1 cup (250 mL) mark and let it stand for 15 minutes.