Chickpea Blondies

Nowadays you find all sorts of desserts based on chickpeas - mostly creams that look like sweet hummus in supermarkets - be careful though, these are loaded with sugar and additives. Some time ago I did a chocolate hummus in a batch cooking session and I loved it. But when I stumbled on a picture of chickpea blondies, I found it even more enticing.

Now, this recipe contains an extra protein boost; I like to use plain plant-based protein powders and control the amount of sweeteners I use (and which type). Also these powders (sunflower, pea, pumpkin seed...) are less expensive than a vegan mix. Don't forget though, that you often need to mix plant proteins to optimise their absorption and quality profile (think about the basic rice+beans; but this is just a helping model, it is fine to eat the different foods on different meals). To tell the truth, the use of protein powders are a remain of my strength training times, but they are definitely not necessary to my lifestyle.

Right, let's talk sweet tooth. I wanted to give the recipe a christmas twist so added apples, cake spices and honey, which tastes really nice, but you can do without.

CHICKPEA BLONDIES

50g sunflower protein (neutral in colour and taste)
30g almond meal
1 pinch vanilla
1/2 tsp winter spice
2 tbsp apple puree
1 tbsp honey (avoid basic supermarket honey which is mixed with sugar but forget about high quality medicinal honey as it might lose its properties while baking - otherwise just use maple sirup)
1 tbsp maple sirup
160g tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup oat-almond milk (sugar-free)
+ 2 tbsp black currant jam (my favourite) - you can mix frozen berries, a dash of lemon juice and a sweetener in a saucepan to make your own jam.

1) Preheat the oven at 180°C.
2) Blend chickpeas, milk & sweeteners.
3) Add dry ingredients and blend again.
4) Spread the smooth batter onto a lined baking tray.
5) Bake for 20 min. Spread the jam on top, bake for 5 more minutes.
6) Allow to cool before slicing, then store in the fridge.