Chocolate Brownies (gluten-free, no added fat)

You know those desserts that leave you speechless with their exquisite taste? The ones that are so decadent and addictive you find yourself sneaking into the kitchen for just one more bite, promising it would be the last? These chocolate brownies are that good! By the time I finished taking all the pictures I had already eaten a quarter of the brownies and that was just dinner, the dessert came later;) Author's advice: don't cut the brownie before having your meal, it's dangerously tempting and once you start eating you can't stop at one piece.

There is a special ingredient that helps keep these beauties moist and fudgy: butternut squash. I had some leftover purée after making butternut squash hummus and what better way to use it up than to make brownies? Now, the brownies themselves are great on their own, but what really takes them to that level of ultimate delight is the chocolate ganache. You wouldn't expect it to be so, considering how simple it is, but truly these brownies would be incomplete without it.

Black and White Bean Fudge (soy-free, fat-free, gluten-free)

I got the idea of making a black and white fudge when someone asked me how she could make the Cheesecake Brownie soy-free. There's really nothing to it, with the help of a blender or food processor this dessert is ready in no time. It's very flavourful, not too dense and it's best eaten chilled. For the dark fudge I followed the Black Bean Brownie recipe and added melted chocolate for a deeper flavour (it came out darker than in the pictures). For the white one I doubled the amount of oats and added white chocolate and orange zest for extra flavour.

Raspberry Cheesecake Brownie

Just when I thought my Cheesecake Brownie couldn't get any better, I found out it actually can. The addition of homemade raspberry preserve makes this dessert an instant winner. With fresh raspberries available all year round, there's really no need to wait for summer, although, of course, raspberries are best when in season. To make this cake, just follow my previous recipe, but use a full tub of cream cheese and omit the hazelnuts and coffee. Reserve 1/2 cup brownie mix and drop teaspoonfuls of batter and preserve all over the cheesecake layer, then create the swirls.

Cheesecake Brownie

Cheesecake and Brownie, who would have thought? Two of the most famous desserts in one fascinating combination. Luckily, making a vegan version is simple enough and the result...heavenly. I'd already made a cheesecake which came out great, so all I needed was the brownie to go with it. I found a great eggless brownie recipe on Chow Times and adapted it to make it richer and more fudge-like. Not all the recipes I try come out perfectly in the first attempt, but with this one everything was just right.

Black Bean Brownies

I rarely make recipes without having some sort of idea how they will turn out. When I stumbled upon Happy Herbivore's recipe I was intrigued. BEANS??? The brownie pictures looked so good, I just had to make some myself. These brownies are a surprise for anyone who tries and finds absolutely no vegetable taste in them. For me the surprise was triple: I'd never had beans in my sweets and I'd never eaten black beans or rolled/instant oats before. More reasons to look forward to making these goodies.

Raw Brownies

Every time I watch Elaina Love (Pure Joy Planet), Chaya Ryvka (Living Vision) or Ka Sundance (Raw Food Family Life) I am intrigued and tempted to go raw myself. Raw food comes with all nutrients and flavours unaltered by cooking or processing, while retaining its natural moisture and enzymes required for digestion. Due to its nutritious, healing and preventive qualities, it is as beneficial for the mind and spirit as it is for the body, keeping you healthy, energetic and focused. At the same time, raw food has a minimal impact on the environment. It provides vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals that the body uses to detoxify and fight off the free radicals. Cooked/processed food is more acid-forming and provides the proper environment for diseases to develop. On the other hand, raw food helps restore the acid/alkaline balance the body needs for optimal health.