The Brownie Recipe That Launched Deliciously Ella's Cookbook Deal (2024)

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October 18, 2014

mbg Food Contributor

By Christina Liva

mbg Food Contributor

Christina Liva is a writer, recipe developer, and former mbg food editor. She founded Yay Lunch and is currently based in Virginia.

The Brownie Recipe That Launched Deliciously Ella's Cookbook Deal (3)

Image by Ina Peters / stocksy

October 18, 2014

Ella was at the University of St. Andrews when she was diagnosed with a rare illness called Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), which basically breaks down the autonomic nervous system, leaving her bedridden for 95% of the time. She was just 19-years-old.

After failing to find a solution through conventional medicine, and inspired by holistic approaches to healing and such figures as Kris Carr, Ella decided it was time to change her diet. She had never been a fruit and veggie lover or a cook and describes her relationship to refined sugar before her illness as an addiction.

She started slowly, learning how to cook and making the same basic, healthy meals daily — porridge with berries for breakfast, buckwheat avocado toast for lunch, and brown rice pasta with veggie sauce for dinner. Ella decided it was time to mix it up and started her blog, Deliciously Ella, as a way to commit herself to trying new healthy recipes at least three times a week. Her readership started with just a few friends (and her mum.) After 18 months of consistently posting beautiful, plant-based, whole food recipes to the site, she had over five million hits.

There was one recipe in particular that, despite being one of the first she posted and spent the least amount of time creating, continues to be one of the most popular ever for Ella — her sweet potato brownies. Ella's first book, Deliciously Ella, came out in 2015.

It happened like this: she was getting ready for a friend's dinner party one evening when she remember she was supposed to bring dessert. She didn't have time to go out and get ingredients so she rummaged through her pantry to see what she had/what she could make. She found a couple of sweet potatoes, ground almonds, buckwheat flour, dates, maple syrup and raw cocoa. So, she steamed the potatoes, blended it with the dates and mixed everything else in and baked it. Here's what happened next.

Ella says:

"I have to admit that when I made these I was beyond excited, like really way too over excited. I was jumping around a lot, making a lot of 'mmmmm… delicious… wow… these are outrageous… can you believe it' type noises! Anyway I was so excited that I told everyone that would listen about my new creation — but the response was a little mixed. Most people seemed to think the idea of making dessert from a vegetable was too bizarre and maybe I'd taken my healthy baking a step too far! But I absolutely promise you that I haven't and that you will adore these, it is impossible not to."

Ella's Sweet Potato Brownies

Makes 10 brownies

"Sweet potatoes are incredible: they're bursting with nutritional goodness with all their antioxidants, and their anti-inflammatory properties, as well as being awesome blood sugar-regulators. Each cup contains an almost unrivaled amount of vitamin A, with more than four times your daily need of this antioxidant boosting vitamin, which is essential for strengthening your body's immunity against infection.

Their bright color also doses you up on anti-inflammatories which have been shown to reduce inflammation on the brain and nerve tissue. Each serving also contains lots of wonderful fiber, which gives each brownies a 'slow burning' quality, meaning their energy is used up much more slowly than low-fiber carbohydrates (like normal brownies), so you'll be fuller, more energized and more satisfied for way longer! So if you needed an excuse to eat brownies then here it is! They're healthy!

Don't forget that raw cacao is also a superfood as it is such an insanely rich source of antioxidants, one of the best in the world, as well as being packed with a number of other beneficial nutrients: manganese, which helps oxygenate the blood; magnesium, which helps maintain healthy bodily nerves, muscles and bones; and sulphur, which builds strong nails and hair, and promotes beautiful skin." -Ella Woodward

Ingredients

  • 2 medium to large sweet potatoes
  • 2/3 of a cup of ground almonds
  • 1/2 a cup of buckwheat flour (brown rice flour will also work)
  • 14 medjool dates
  • 4 tablespoons of raw cacao
  • 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup
  • a pinch of salt

Method

  1. Start by preheating the oven to 350ºF, then peel the sweet potatoes. Cut them into chunks and place into a steamer for about twenty minutes, until they become really soft.
  2. Once they are perfectly soft and beginning to fall apart remove them and add them to a food processor with the pitted dates – this will form one of the sweetest, creamiest, most delicious mixes ever!
  3. Put the remaining ingredients into a bowl, before mixing in the sweet potato date combination. Stir well.
  4. Place into a lined baking dish and cook for about twenty minutes, until you can pierce the brownie cake with a fork bringing it out dry. Remove the tray and allow it to cool for about ten minutes. This is really important as it needs this time to stick together. Remove the brownies from the tray, leaving it another few minutes before cutting them into squares – then dig in and enjoy!
The Brownie Recipe That Launched Deliciously Ella's Cookbook Deal (2024)

FAQs

What are Katharine Hepburn brownies? ›

The brownies are made with unsweetened chocolate, which is also known as baking, plain or bitter chocolate. It is chocolate in its rawest form and this means that unsweetened chocolate is just ground cocoa nibs that have been refined and contain between 50-55% cocoa butter (cacao fat).

Why did brownies fall? ›

Various causes include overbaking, underbaking, cutting the brownies too quickly, and lacking oil and fluid contents in the recipe. Underbaked and overbaked brownies turn out to be crumbly. When cut sooner before cooling down can make the brownies crumb.

How to pimp Betty Crocker brownie mix? ›

Six Sneaky Ways To Make Brownie Mix Taste Homemade
  1. Use melted butter instead of oil. ...
  2. Use milk, flavored creamers, or brewed coffee instead of water. ...
  3. Add extracts or flavorings. ...
  4. Add mix-ins like cookies and candies. ...
  5. Underbake, just slightly. ...
  6. Toppings.
Jan 19, 2021

Is deliciously Ella wheat free? ›

The book is packed with more than 100 simple yet irresistible plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free recipes.

How long to bake Katharine Hepburn brownies? ›

Bake at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely and cut into squares. These brownies are very fudgy and may be somewhat difficult to slice cleanly; use a sharp knife and a spatula to help them loosen from the baking dish.

Why is brownies changing their name? ›

Canada Girl Guides renamed Brownies, new name Embers meant to be more inclusive The new name, Embers, was approved overwhelmingly by members and is meant to be more inclusive. Past and present Girl Guides said the old name caused harm and even prevented or delayed their joining.

Are brownies better with oil or butter? ›

the butter brownies actually had a fudgier texture. they were softer, and they really just melted in your mouth. they also had that shiny crust and just better flavor, whereas the oil brownies were actually chewier. they were crunchier at the top and at the edges.

What makes brownies fudgy vs cakey? ›

Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.

Is it better to cut brownies hot or cold? ›

Wait until your brownies have completely cooled to room temperature. As brownies cool, they will solidify and set up, so slicing into them too early can result in brownie squares that fall apart or become a mess very quickly. Note: I don't recommend slicing baked brownies until just before you plan to serve them!

What does adding milk instead of water do to brownies? ›

One change is to use milk or heavy cream instead of water. This change will make brownies more moist and gooey since milk is more fatty and flavorful than water. A second change is to use butter instead of oil. For similar reasons to using milk, butter adds a rich and more decadent quality to the batter.

What happens when you add extra eggs to brownies? ›

If you opt to add more eggs, say double the amount, something interesting happens. Even though you are adding more moisture, the air bubbles that you catch in the extra eggs add volume, which decreases the density of your final product. This makes your brownies rise and gives them a much more cake-like texture.

How to doctor up brownie mix? ›

Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract adds rich flavor to brownies. Eggs – Most brownie mixes call for one whole egg. Adding one large egg plus an extra egg yolk gives brownies an ultra fudgy texture. Chocolate Chips – Even if your brownie mix contains chocolate, plan to add chocolate chips.

Is Deliciously Ella food healthy? ›

Our nutritionist-approved, plant-based meal plans are designed to make healthy living as easy and delicious as possible. We totally appreciate the challenge of fitting this into your week, so have designed the plan to be quick and easy.

Which blender does Deliciously Ella use? ›

In terms of equipment, you'll need a blender (we use a nutribullet), a chopping board, a sharp knife, pots, pans, a freezer, an oven and loaf tin.

Which food processor does Deliciously Ella use? ›

Making enhancing simple ingredients a cinch, Mills' kitchen MVPS are a Nutribullet Blender and MagiMix Food Processer. "I use my blender for simple things, mostly speedy breakfast smoothies and quick soups," she explains.

What did Katherine Hepburn like to eat? ›

Red meat, big salads, tea, butterscotch pudding, ice cream, meatloaf, homemade cookies… those were some of Katharine Hepburn's most favorite foods.

What is the movie brownies about? ›

It is about a career woman who falls for an entrepreneur over their mutual love of brownies.

What are brownies in folklore? ›

brownie, in English and Scottish folklore, a small, industrious fairy or hobgoblin believed to inhabit houses and barns. Rarely seen, he was often heard at night, cleaning and doing housework; he also sometimes mischievously disarranged rooms.

What is in brownies on the moon? ›

Description. The most delicious brownies are combined with premium high-quality chocolate cream and vanilla ice cream to give you an experience that is out of this world!

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