Not Yo Momma's Brownie

Not Yo Momma's Brownie
Makes 12 servings

1 c. hazelnut meal (can sub. pecan or almond, but hazelnut is very tasty!)
6 T. extra virgin coconut oil, plus extra for the baking pan
1/2 c. agave nectar
2 whole omega-3 eggs
1/2 c. raw cocoa powder
1/4 c. arrowroot

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and 8x8x2 inch baking pan. Mix together all ingredients. Stir to blend. Pour into an oiled 8x8x2 baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool, cut into 12 bars. These are really good warm, but if you have leftovers and want to keep them awhile, wrap each one in a piece of waxed paper and freeze.

Homemade Brownies

Sweet Potato (natural sweeteners)

The old family favorite (here) needed to be healthier to align with our commitment to eating better, although I am not certain this is a huge improvement with all the butter... We went with fresh instead of canned sweet potatoes, (big health savings) and did away with the brown sugar and marshmallows (another giant improvement), replacing it with a little stevia and agave nectar. I increased the spices to give it more zip and hopefully disguise the fact they aren't as sweet. It is a holiday food, though and no one seems to mind venturing out from the healthy fare a few times a year. Here is the new version:

• Three large whole sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-1/2 inch thick. (consistency is the important thing, as they will need to cook evenly)
• 3 apples (wash and core, do not peel) sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 T cinnamon
• 1/4 t.allspice
• 1/8 t. cloves
• 1/4-1/2 cup unsalted butter
• agave nectar or maple syrup (to taste)

Melt about 2 T butter in the bottom of a large casserole dish. Mix together nuts and spices (I added 1/4 tsp. stevia powder as well, since the family is used to these being really sweet).

In the bottom of the buttered casserole dish, layer slices of sweet potatoes, apples, nut mixture, agave nectar (drizzle over) and slices of butter. Make several layers of this, finishing with the butter. Cover and bake at 350 degrees about an hour, until sweet potatoes are tender. This will make about 12 servings.