'Too-Good-to-Be-True' Iced Dark Chocolate Brownies

What is a person to do when they're looking for a good healthy recipe to bake? How do you wade through the healthy-but cardboard-esque recipes vs the actual delicious recipes that would trick your most palate-sensitive tasters into believing they were the 'real thing'?

My tip is to look at the ingredient list. One key ingredient that should be in all types of baking if you expect it to be moist is fat - no, not lard or shortening - but look for the healthier fat-foods like almonds or eggs. I've made a bunch of healthy brownies over time, and it wasn't until I added almond meal/flour and an egg that I was willing to share them with all of you. They had to be perfect :)

'To-Good-To-Be-True' Iced Dark Chocolate Brownies

makes 16

Ingredients:
- 1 cup of quick oats, ground (or you can use oat flour if you aren't in a oat-grinding mood)
- 1/2 cup of almond meal (again, I used Bob's Red Mill brand)
- 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
- 6 tbsp of unsweetened almond milk
- 3/4 cup egg whites
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup granulated splenda

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2) Line a brownie pan with parchment paper (8X8/9X9 square pan)
3) Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
4) Pour into pan and bake in the middle rack for 15-20 minutes, when the centre is firm and some cracks form on top.
5) Take out of pan and let cool. Then it's icing time!

Per brownie: 57 calories, fat 3g, carbohydrates 5g, protein 3g

THE Icing
makes enough icing for a pan of brownies (with enough left to lick the spoon!)

Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa
- 3-4 tbsp of unsweetened almond milk (start with 3 and add more if it's too dry)
- 2/3 scoop of vanilla protein powder (I use AllMax Nutrition Isoflex Vanilla Flavour)
- 1 heaping tbsp of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling - pure canned pumpkin!)
- splenda to taste
- 1-2 tsp of sugar free chocolate jell-o pudding mix

1) Mix all dry ingredients together and then add in the liquid.
2) Add as much liquid as necessary to acheive the desired consistency.
3) Spread on your favourite baked good - or if you're looking for a particularly good start to your morning, swirl it in your oatmeal with some pecans or almonds and berries :)

Nutritional info for the whole dish of icing:
calories 154, fat 5g, carbohydrates 16g, protein 22g,

Nutritional info for a 'Too-good-to-be-true' Iced Dark Chocolate Brownie:
calories: 67, fat 3.5g, carbohydrates 6g, protein 5g