About a year ago, I left the comfort of my everyday job in order to spend more time with my family. To be honest, the demands of my job were too great and I felt like I wasn’t spending enough time being a mom. Although leaving my job was the biggest risk I’ve ever taken in my life, it also has been the most rewarding. I am now freelance consulting on my own time and schedule and have not looked back.
I’m not the only person I know who has made big changes in their life to have a better work-life balance. I know many people who have made a change or are working towards a chance in order to spend more time with their families instead of at a job that is very stressful.
Time with your family is so important and although not everyone can logistically make big changes, even a small amount of extra time with your family can make a big difference. I’m not saying you need to spend each and every waking moment with your kids (mommy time is important too!!!), but it is important to realize if you aren’t spending enough “together” time with your family and work towards a better balance.
Since my schedule is more flexible now, I’ve enjoyed making things from scratch rather than buying a box. I love that I can control the ingredients my family is consuming and cooking from scratch doesn’t always take more time. My recipe below is for a batch of dark chocolate fudgy brownies.
These are wonderful because they:
- Are gluten free
- Are great for families with allergies (can be made egg-free, dairy-free, gluten free, nut free – though I did contemplate adding a drizzle of peanut butter over the top)
- Have no refined sugar
- Are much healthier than boxed brownie mix
- Use chickpeas as a base, which are high in protein
- Have a decadent ganache topping…Seriously, who doesn’t love ganache!?!
I hope you enjoy these brownies as much as my family has! My husband says they taste like a combination of fudge and black forest cake. Now log off your computer and go play outside with your family! 🙂
Wendy
FUDGY GLUTEN-FREE DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIES WITH GANACHE
Ingredients:
Recipe adapted from: Skinny Taste – Amazing Flour-less Brownies
Brownies:
- 1 (15.5 oz) canned chickpeas (I used Wegman’s Organic Chickpeas)
- 2 large eggs or 3 flax eggs (3 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 9 Tbsp warm water, whisked and set in fridge for a few minutes to thicken)
- ¾ cup cocoa powder (the higher the quality the better)
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Ganache topping:
- 1 cup, or about 4.5 oz, chopped chocolate (I used 1 1/3 Green & Black’s Organic 70% Dark bars)
- 1/3 cup milk (I used Almond Breeze)
- Sprinkle of sea salt (optional)
Directions:
Step 1: Pour entire can of chickpeas (including liquid) in a bowl and microwave for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 square pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 3: When chickpeas are done in the microwave, drain off excess liquid and pour into food processor with all other brownie ingredients. Be careful because they will be hot.
Step 4: Pulse ingredients until mostly smooth. You may need to scrape sides of food processor down a few times during this process. Pour into baking pan. Batter will be thick so you will need to spread them out a bit.
Step 5: Bake for 25-30 minutes. They are done when a toothpick comes out mostly clean from the center of the brownies. If using flax eggs, they will be done at the 30 minute mark even if the toothpick is not mostly clean. Let cool completely and then remove from pan.
Step 6: Heat milk in the microwave or over the stove until warm (not boiling). Pour over chocolate and let sit for 3 minutes. Stir until smooth. If not completely smooth, place in the microwave to fully melt chocolate.
Step 7: Pour ganache over brownies, sprinkle with sea salt (optional), and put in the fridge to set.
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