Beet brownies that dont taste like beets or sadness
August 11, 2022 7:28 AM Subscribe
I need the best, most chocolatey, least beety recipe for beet brownies!
I got a mass of beets in my CSA this week and I severely hate beets. I have tried beets every way one can try beets and they always taste like murky dirt.
However! I also hate zucchini and have had great success making and devouring double chocolate zucchini bread. I"m looking for a similar recipe for beets that turn them into brownies (or some other dessert) where you seriously, and i mean seriously, do not taste the beets at all. I am pretty good at baking and have all the equipment of a basic kitchen EXCEPT a stand mixer. Help me eat these stupid beets!
*note, not looking for roasting/bbq etc recipes for beets. ONLY dessert recipes, please!
I got a mass of beets in my CSA this week and I severely hate beets. I have tried beets every way one can try beets and they always taste like murky dirt.
However! I also hate zucchini and have had great success making and devouring double chocolate zucchini bread. I"m looking for a similar recipe for beets that turn them into brownies (or some other dessert) where you seriously, and i mean seriously, do not taste the beets at all. I am pretty good at baking and have all the equipment of a basic kitchen EXCEPT a stand mixer. Help me eat these stupid beets!
*note, not looking for roasting/bbq etc recipes for beets. ONLY dessert recipes, please!
If your reaction to the geosmin in beets is, like many people, that they taste like dirt in the worst possible way, then I think you'll find it hard disguise the flavour completely.
How about giving them to someone who actually likes beets, and then make yourself a delicious, chocolatey, non-beet dessert?
posted by pipeski at 7:51 AM on August 11, 2022 [7 favorites]
How about giving them to someone who actually likes beets, and then make yourself a delicious, chocolatey, non-beet dessert?
posted by pipeski at 7:51 AM on August 11, 2022 [7 favorites]
The dirt taste is beets is from a chemical called geosmin, which some people are super sensitive to. It's kind of like smelling asparagus in urine or cilantro tasting like soap. So there may not be a recipe that fully covers this taste up for you.
Blanching beets in vinegar does help a bit, I always do this before roasting. But I don't know if I would try that for a dessert.
I personally like chocolate orange beet muffins/cake. I find the orange flavor, like the vinegar, helps mask the geosmin. I use a zuchinni bread recipe, sometimes this one and I add a few drops of orange flavoring to it (it's like vanilla extract but, like, orange instead). If I'm feeling virtuous I sub oats for some of the flour. If you're feeling extra fancy, you could add some chopped candied orange peel.
I cannot taste beets in this cake at all, and it's been a hit at all the potlucks I've brought it to.
posted by ananci at 7:55 AM on August 11, 2022 [1 favorite]
Blanching beets in vinegar does help a bit, I always do this before roasting. But I don't know if I would try that for a dessert.
I personally like chocolate orange beet muffins/cake. I find the orange flavor, like the vinegar, helps mask the geosmin. I use a zuchinni bread recipe, sometimes this one and I add a few drops of orange flavoring to it (it's like vanilla extract but, like, orange instead). If I'm feeling virtuous I sub oats for some of the flour. If you're feeling extra fancy, you could add some chopped candied orange peel.
I cannot taste beets in this cake at all, and it's been a hit at all the potlucks I've brought it to.
posted by ananci at 7:55 AM on August 11, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I never heard of geosmin before so this is fascinating! Maybe I am just genetically built to hate beets.
Ok please keep the recipes coming and hopefully i'll find something that works. Pipeski, I've been giving my beets away week after week but I really want to try at least once to make it work!
posted by silverstatue at 8:25 AM on August 11, 2022 [2 favorites]
Ok please keep the recipes coming and hopefully i'll find something that works. Pipeski, I've been giving my beets away week after week but I really want to try at least once to make it work!
posted by silverstatue at 8:25 AM on August 11, 2022 [2 favorites]
I also do not care for the earthy flavour of beets (the only way I can eat them is raw, finely sliced). If and when they turn up in my vegetable box, I intend to try this Riverford recipe for chocolate beetroot brownies. They promise "not a hint of beetroot after baking".
Whether you try that recipe or one of the others, please report back and let us know if it worked!
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 8:39 AM on August 11, 2022 [1 favorite]
Whether you try that recipe or one of the others, please report back and let us know if it worked!
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 8:39 AM on August 11, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Fellow CSA-belonging beet hater here! I have had good success with this dark chocolate beet brownie recipe. No dirt taste that I can detect and the brownies got good reviews from the people I subjected to them.
posted by fancypants at 8:45 AM on August 11, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by fancypants at 8:45 AM on August 11, 2022 [1 favorite]
If it's about geosim, just add acid: "There is a way to get rid of that musty, earthy flavor in your food at home, though. All you have to do is add acid. The reaction of geosmin with acid yields odorless argosmin. So, if you like to cook with citrus juice (citric acid) or vinegar (acetic acid), you’re all set."
posted by aniola at 9:47 AM on August 11, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by aniola at 9:47 AM on August 11, 2022 [3 favorites]
I love beets, and am not much of a baker, but I can at least say that, to my taste, there are certain baking-friendly flavors that also go well with beets, namely: rosemary, orange, honey, various nuts, and soft cheeses like mascarpone. So perhaps you could look for recipes that use those or other flavors?
posted by Dr. Wu at 10:57 AM on August 11, 2022
posted by Dr. Wu at 10:57 AM on August 11, 2022
Response by poster: Ok reporting back to say I made fancypants' dark chocolate beet brownies and they are totally edible! Not the most delicious brownies of my life, but definitely good with a big glass of milk, and sufficiently non-beety :)
Unfortunately they only used up TWO beets, so I'm going to also try these beet cookies that I found online that I suspect will still taste like beets, but we'll see.
If anyone else has recipes, please share! More beets are coming this week I think :(
posted by silverstatue at 1:20 PM on August 11, 2022 [2 favorites]
Unfortunately they only used up TWO beets, so I'm going to also try these beet cookies that I found online that I suspect will still taste like beets, but we'll see.
If anyone else has recipes, please share! More beets are coming this week I think :(
posted by silverstatue at 1:20 PM on August 11, 2022 [2 favorites]
This isn't brownie related, but in my experience lacto-fermentation removes the dirt taste (because of the brine's acidity). Lacto-fermented beets keep basically forever. Here's an example recipe, but even this one is too fussy--I don't use vinegar to clean anything and I just dissolve 4-5% salt (pure salt, no additives) by weight into cold filtered water (eg 50g salt to 1l of water). The weight is helpful but optional. With an airlock lid you are highly unlikely to get mold, but you might get Kahm yeast, which is harmless and can be scraped off.
Also, the brine can be reused once you're done with this batch of beets.
posted by derrinyet at 6:44 PM on August 11, 2022
Also, the brine can be reused once you're done with this batch of beets.
posted by derrinyet at 6:44 PM on August 11, 2022
I cannot recommend vigorously enough this recipe from a book called Snacking Cakes.
Chocolate-Orange Beet Cake
1 small orange
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup (110g) sour cream
½ cup (120ml) neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup (45g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 cup (128g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (165g) grated peeled red beets, loosely packed
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)
Beet and Orange Glaze
1¼ cups (125g) confectioners’ sugar, or more as needed
½ teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon finely grated red beet
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice, or more as needed
Pinch of salt
Poppy seeds, to finish (optional)
1. Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter or coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over two of the edges.
2. Make the cake: Zest the orange into a large bowl and add the sugar and eggs. Whisk until pale and foamy, about 1 minute. Add the sour cream, oil, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth and emulsified. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk until well-combined and smooth. Finally, use a rubber spatula to fold in the beets and poppy seeds (if using).
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tap the pan gently on the counter to release any air bubbles, and smooth the top of the batter with an offset spatula.
5. Bake the cake until puffed and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then use the parchment paper to lift the cake out and set it on the rack to cool completely.
6. Make the glaze: Add the confectioners’ sugar, grated beet, orange juice, orange zest, and salt to a bowl and whisk until smooth. The glaze should be very thick. If it is too thin, add a bit more confectioners’ sugar until you achieve a pourable consistency. If it is too thick, add a few more drops of orange juice. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and sprinkle with the additional poppy seeds, if desired. (Store the cake, covered, at room temperature for up to three days. The glaze will soften over time.)
posted by cranberrymonger at 9:25 PM on August 11, 2022 [1 favorite]
Chocolate-Orange Beet Cake
1 small orange
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup (110g) sour cream
½ cup (120ml) neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup (45g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 cup (128g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (165g) grated peeled red beets, loosely packed
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)
Beet and Orange Glaze
1¼ cups (125g) confectioners’ sugar, or more as needed
½ teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon finely grated red beet
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice, or more as needed
Pinch of salt
Poppy seeds, to finish (optional)
1. Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter or coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over two of the edges.
2. Make the cake: Zest the orange into a large bowl and add the sugar and eggs. Whisk until pale and foamy, about 1 minute. Add the sour cream, oil, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth and emulsified. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk until well-combined and smooth. Finally, use a rubber spatula to fold in the beets and poppy seeds (if using).
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tap the pan gently on the counter to release any air bubbles, and smooth the top of the batter with an offset spatula.
5. Bake the cake until puffed and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then use the parchment paper to lift the cake out and set it on the rack to cool completely.
6. Make the glaze: Add the confectioners’ sugar, grated beet, orange juice, orange zest, and salt to a bowl and whisk until smooth. The glaze should be very thick. If it is too thin, add a bit more confectioners’ sugar until you achieve a pourable consistency. If it is too thick, add a few more drops of orange juice. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and sprinkle with the additional poppy seeds, if desired. (Store the cake, covered, at room temperature for up to three days. The glaze will soften over time.)
posted by cranberrymonger at 9:25 PM on August 11, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:33 AM on August 11, 2022