Spreading the Love

We hope everyone had a great Pancake Tuesday yesterday and ate lots of delicious pancakes, because we sure did. 🙂

Today, we’re bringing you a recipe that goes along with another special day that comes every February – Valentines Day! We say “special day” and not “holiday” because is it really a holiday when you don’t get any time off work or school? We don’t think so!

Now we know that people often have strong feelings towards Valentines Day. Some people love it and go all-out with fancy dinners and wine, etc etc, while others hate it, saying that all it is is an excuse for card companies, chocolatiers, flower shops and restaurants to make a pretty penny few  billion dollars. That’s right – billions of dollars are spent each valentines day on jewelry  chocolate, cards, flowers, lingerie and dining out. Pretty intense, eh?

When it comes to Valentines Day, there’s always the group who simply don’t like it because they feel lonely because they’re single, but would love it if only they had a significant other.

We think Valentines Day is a great celebration of love, but not just the romantic kind. It’s also a fantastic reminder to show the people on your life who you care about that you love them – your parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, even teachers, co-workers or bosses who have made a difference or impact on your life. In our  busy lives today,Valentines Day is a day that reminds you to take a moment and show people that you care about them.

Of course, what better way to show someone that you love them than with home-made, heart-shaped brownies? 🙂

Healthy, gluten-free red velvet brownies, we might add, with a delicious pink icing to boot!

Because like we said earlier, people spend a lot of money on valentines day on store bought chocolates and other treats, so why not save yourself a little money and make your own?

These brownies are so fudgy and just the right amount of sweet. And if you’re not good with words, the heart-shape and pink icing will say “I love you” for you! 😉

And for those of you who are wondering- yes, beets are making yet another appearance here- but don’t worry, you can’t taste them at all.  And if you’re going to show your love to people by baking them brownies, you might as well do them another favour and fill them with antioxidant-packed, good-for-you beets, right? 🙂

So, if you can find absolutely no other reason to love Valentine’s day- then just think of it as an excuse to eat lots of chocolate, and make everything pink, red, and heart-shaped, because really, is there any other acceptable time of year to do that?

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

Gluten-Free Red Velvet Brownies

Prep Time: 15 min
Bake Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1/2 c. brown rice flour
1/3 c. ground almonds
1 tbsp arrowroot flour
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of xanthan gum (optional)

1/4 c. diced cooked beets
1/2 c. date paste
1 egg
1/4 c. pumpkin puree*
1/4 c. yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

For the Icing:

1/2 c. cashews
2 tbsp cottage cheese
1 tbsp honey
1.5 tbsp strawberry or raspberry jam
1/4 tsp diced cooked beets
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp butter extract (optional)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.  Add all the wet ingredients to your food processor or blender and blend until smooth.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. (The batter will feel a bit dry, but that’s ok).

Divide the batter evenly between 6 greased muffin tins (or heart-shaped tins!) and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the centres feel firm.  Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the brownies from the tins and place on a wire rack to continues cooling.

For the Icing:

Add the cashews to your food processor (or high-powered blender) and blend until the cashews are smooth and buttery (this will take about 5-10 minutes)  Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.  When the brownies are cool, divide the icing between each brownie and smooth over the tops.

*If you’d prefer, you can omit the pumpkin and just use an entire cup of yogurt.

~twosaucysisters

What are your feelings toward Valentines Day?  How do you like to show your friends and family you care?