Diabetes Matters - online subscriptions are no longer available Autumn 2016 | Page 30
The Big Brownie Bake-off
T
hese days everyone is trying to find ways to eat their favourite naughty treats without the guilt afterwards. Baked
treats containing healthy hidden ingredients are all the rage, popping up in trendy cafes all over town, and raw
desserts are quickly following suit. The raw desserts are made with ingredients that have not been heated above 42
degrees, and usually use fruits, nuts and spices to provide tasty flavours. Often dairy-free and gluten-free, they are a
popular choice for people with food allergies.
But are these healthy cakes, slices and raw desserts as good as the real thing? We rallied 10 people to take part in the Diabetes
WA Big Brownie Bake-off and put some unusual brownie recipes to the test!
Get the
Scorecards Ready
When researching recipes to be involved
in the bake-off, it was amazing to see how
many ingredients can be used to bake
brownies. Options included apple, kale,
pumpkin and zucchini, as well as multiple
ingredients used to make raw brownies.
No one was brave enough to attempt the
kale brownies, so on the day the selection
included quinoa, avocado, beetroot, beans
and raw brownies. Participants took part
as a blind tasting, and had to guess which
brownies were which before giving it a
score out of five.
The Final Verdict
There were two clear winners in the Big
Brownie Bake-off – the beetroot and raw
brownies received the highest points and
were surprisingly delicious!
Sadly the quinoa brownies failed to
impress, and although dark chocolate
lovers enjoyed the avocado and double
choc bean brownies, others found the
flavours to be far too strong. Many
struggled to distinguish between brownies,
and it was a lot of fun guessing the secret
ingredients.
Were they as good as the real thing? Our
tasters agreed that the beetroot ones came
very close, and the raw brownies had
their own delicious and unique flavour –
perhaps the raw food advocates are onto
something after all!
Brownie Beware!
Don’t assume that your favourite sweet treat is good for you just because it
contains some healthy ingredients. According to Diabetes WA dietitian, Ashling
Turner, some so-called healthy brownies are very much the opposite!
“A lot of the recipes with hidden ingredients use large amounts of chocolate, sugar and
butter to give the brownies their sweet taste,” said Ashling.
“Make sure to check the ingredients list before indulging in a big tray of baked goodies
and remember to enjoy in moderation.”
Dietitian Ashling Turner enjoying the taste test her beetroot brownies were the clear winner!
30