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Pecan-Studded Sweet Potato Brownies

Serves
Makes 12
Total Time
2 Hours
Ingredients
1 large sweet potato, at least 350g in weight
150g of pecans
50g of soft pitted dates (ideally medjool)
200g of dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
50g of rapeseed oil
40g of light tahini
3 eggs
160g of coconut sugar or dark muscovado sugar
Pinch of sea salt, plus a little extra for sprinkling
Rapeseed oil, for greasing
Method
Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Roast the sweet potato on a baking sheet for 45 minutes to one hour, or until tender in the centre and slightly caramelised on the outside.

Step 2

Meanwhile, toast the pecans on a baking sheet for five to minutes until lightly browned. Cool, then roughly chop.

Step 3

Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C. Grease a 28 x 18-cm (11 x 7-in) brownie tin with a little rapeseed oil and line with baking parchment.

Step 4

Let the potato cool until just warm, then peel and weigh out 200g of the flesh into a blender. Add the dates and blend until smooth, then transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl with the chocolate and set over a pan of barely simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted. Add the oil and tahini and stir until smooth. Cool slightly.

Step 5

Whisk the eggs, coconut sugar and salt on medium-high speed for five minutes, or until paler and almost doubled in volume, then whisk in the chocolate mixture slowly until well blended. Fold through most of the pecans.

Step 6

Scrape the mix into the tin, gently levelling off the top. Scatter the remaining pecans over the top. Sprinkle with a large pinch of sea salt, then bake for 22-25 minutes, or until puffed and looking dry on top.

Step 7

Cool in the tin before slicing into squares, or resist the temptation to be tidy and cut into random pieces. Chill any leftovers in a covered container for up to three days.

Recipe from Nourish Cakes by Marianne Stewart, photography by Catherine Frawley (Quadrille £15) 

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