CHOCOLATE ORANGE SWEET POTATO BROWNIES

One of my favourite recipes is sweet potato brownies. They are so quick and easy to make that I often knock them up on a Sunday evening to bring as a snack to work. I’ve revamped my old recipe with this chocolate orange version and added a delicious, creamy icing. At 100 cals a piece, these goodies are not to be passed up. MAKES 16 coconut oil, to grease 500g sweet potato, peeled and chopped 2 tbsp coconut sugar (or use an alternative sugar or powdered sweetener of your choice) 60g ground almonds 60g chocolate whey protein powder (for an alternative, see ingredient note below) 25g cacao or cocoa powder, sifted 1 tsp baking powder (gluten-free, if wished) zest and juice of 1 large orange 3 free-range egg whites FOR THE ICING 55g dark chocolate chips 1 tbsp cacao or cocoa powder, sifted 120g Greek yoghurt 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Prepare a 20cm x 20cm baking tin by greasing the sides and base with coconut oil. 2 Boil the sweet potato in a saucepan of water for 10-15 minutes until soft. Drain the excess water, place in a bowl and mash using a potato masher or a hand blender. 3 In a large mixing bowl, add the coconut sugar, ground almonds, protein powder, cacao, baking powder and orange zest. Stir. 4 Add the egg whites and 2 tablespoons of the juice from the orange (reserving the rest) to the dry mixture, and set the remaining juice aside for the icing. Finally, add the mashed sweet potato to the mixture and stir until no lumps remain. 5 Pour the brownie batter into the baking tin and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. 6 Allow the brownies to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the tin and placing on a wire rack for another 2-3 hours. The brownies must be completely cool before icing. 7 To make the icing, melt the dark chocolate in the microwave for a minute or two, stopping every 30 seconds to stir, ensuring it doesn’t burn. Add two tablespoons of the leftover orange juice and stir well. Add the cacao powder and Greek yoghurt to the melted chocolate and stir well until smooth. 8 Spread the icing on top of the brownies and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before slicing into 16 squares.

The whey protein powder may be substituted with vegan protein powder or if you wish to omit the protein completely, try substituting with skimmed milk powder or extra cocoa powder.