A recipe from The Vegan Cookbook

preparation: 15 minutes
cooking: 2535 minutes
serves: 810 brownies

250 g (8 oz) wholemeal flour
250 ml (8 fl oz) rice milk or water
50 ml (2 fl oz) soya milk
50 ml (2 fl oz) rapeseed oil
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon carob powder
250 g (8 oz) dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
125 g (4 oz) ready-to-eat dried prunes, stoned
50 g (2 oz) medjool dates, stoned
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground almonds



1 Line a 27 x 17 x 3.5 cm (101/2 x 61/2 x 11/2 inch) baking tin with baking parchment and oil lightly. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F), Gas Mark 4.

2 Place 2 heaped tablespoons of the flour in a saucepan and mix in the rice milk. Cook, stirring constantly, over a medium heat until thick. Set aside to cool completely.

3 Combine the soya milk, oil, cocoa and carob in a bowl and stir until smooth.

4 Transfer the cooled flour mixture to a food processer or liquidizer, add the sugar, salt, vanilla, prunes and dates, and blend until smooth. Add the cocoa mixture and blend again.

5 Mix the remaining flour with the baking powder and the ground almonds, then add to the prune mixture and blend again. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 2535 minutes, until firm to the touch.

6 Cut into slices and serve hot with a scoop of vegan ice cream and some grated chocolate.

The Vegan Cookbook by Tony & Yvonne Bishop-Weston, published by Hamlyn, £5.99 (www.octopusbooks.co.uk)