RECIPE: Skinny chocolate squidge squares.

Yes, squidge.

Kinda like brownies crossed with chocolate mousse, this is some seriously good squidge.

And guess what – they're super healthy!

But before we get on to the health benefits, let’s talk about the deliciousness.

These squidgy squares are light and moussey and the crunch of the pecans is just divine. The milk chocolate top marries it all together b-e-a-utifully.

They’re rich, but not sickly, and they taste seriously indulgent and decadent.

And here’s the crazy thing – this chocolate squidge really is good for you.

Don’t tell anyone, but they contain:

• Sweet potato
• Avocado
• Dates
• Apple sauce.

And no-one would guess it! My housemates didn’t anyway.

Before deciding to make these, I’d never actually bought an avocado before. I know, how very remiss of me considering the very trendy health food of the moment which avocadoes are.

I was a little worried the avocado flavour would overpower these squidge squares, but luckily it didn’t. However, I think the avocado flavour comes out stronger when they’re just baked, so best to refrigerate them for a least a few hours before sampling. It’s a test of the willpower, I know, but it’ll be worth it.

While the milk chocolate topping ain’t exactly the healthiest of health foods, it does add some delightful sweetness and helps stop the whole thing mushing apart. Make sure you slice your squares before the topping has totally solidified though.

I’ll be honest, there are a couple of stages to these squares, but once you’ve prepared the sweet potato purée and the date paste (I did mine the night before), whipping up the rest is a doddle and super quick.

My date paste

They're really rather moreish not to mention packed with goodness. Just look at all those colourful nutrients above!

Ooh, let's stack them up...!

Aaaand down they fell...

If you're expecting something to rival the most indulgent (and naughty) brownies you've ever had in your life, I'll be honest, you may be a little disappointed. 

But considering how healthy these are (and that they're so much better than rice cakes), these babies are gooooood.

To make the date paste, follow this recipe from the Healthy Foodie. It was also her brownie recipe that inspired my skinny chocolate squidge squares. Make sure you prepare it, and the sweet potato purée, in advance.

This made 16 squares of chocolate squidgy goodness.

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado

170g sweet potato purée, or one average-sized potato's worth *(see below for how to make it)

125g apple sauce

130g date paste

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

75g plain flour

55g cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

60g pecan halves

200g milk chocolate

* To make the sweet potato purée cut one average-sized sweet potato in half and place it in a roasting tray with 1 tbsp water in the bottom. Cover with foil and bake in an oven at 200C for about 45 minutes, or until the potato flesh is super soft and mushy. Leave to cool completely then scoop the potato out of their skins (I like to eat the skin by itself) and mash it all together in a bowl until you have a smooth purée.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a 9 inch square baking tin with foil. Combine the avocado, sweet potato purée, applesauce, date paste, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl and beat with an electric handheld whisk until creamy and smooth.

2. Combine the dry ingredients in another bowl then fold into the wet mix until smooth. Fold in the pecan halves.

Pour the mix into the baking tin and smooth the top as best you can.

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out just a little sticky (I did mine for 22 mins.)

3. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for about 20 minutes, then carefully lift out the square (in the foil) and transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.

4. To make the chocolate topping simply break the chocolate into squares and melt it slowly in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.

Stir occasionally and once all smooth, remove from the heat. Leave to cool for a couple of minutes before pouring over the squidge and spreading it out as evenly as possible. Be sure to leave yourself some melted chocolate to eat by itself though.

5. Once room temperature, transfer the big squidge square to the fridge to set, but don't let it set fully before slicing up into squares.

Keep your squidge squares in the fridge and enjoy them over the next few days - they genuinely get better!