Chickpea Blondies

This the type of recipe that makes my big head bigger. It’s so good.

If I'm going to be down bad for snackies it's in luteal phase. This is a very normal reaction because of a few things…

• Blood sugar is more likely to fluctuate in luteal and when we have a blood sugar crash, the cravings center of our brain lights up in an animalistic way that makes it nearly impossible to not reach for something high sugar or fat.

• Progesterone enters the chat and this hormone makes us hungrier, whereas estrogen suppresses appetite. It is normal and supportive towards your body to eat more during luteal. The progesterone also influences serotonin levels. Serotonin is a mood stabilizer so if you experience a serotonin drop in luteal, you're more likely to be moody and grabby towards sugar.

• The body also uses up a lot of magnesium during this time. If your magnesium levels become depleted you're running for that chocolate.

• A lack of sweetness in life. Luteal phase is often vilified because it is difficult to meet the expectations of the big back, patriarchal, capitalist world in a luteal body. This is fucking frustrating and sometimes the uncomfortable nature of this phase prompts us to look for a quick hit of joy in our comfort foods.

All of these circumstances have a whole food solution, however I want you to recognize there are greater forces at play when cravings wild out.

You are not weak or undisciplined, your body is doing what it does. The best path forward is to remove shame and be real with what is going on. In this awareness it's easier to make loving food choices.

Also, I think you should have your cake and eat it too in moderation. Sugar and sweetness are part of the human experience for a reason. I'm not a big "healthy" dessert person because if I'm going to have something I want to freely enjoy myself. Like ya give me the big scoop of tiramisu at Onda Pasta Bar with two spoons to split with the one I love.

Half the time healthy dessert recipes are also marketed in a way that you think you can eat those foods everyday when in actuality there is still an impact on the body. At the end of the day, glucose is glucose and if you don't protect your blood sugar you're going to spike and crash.

Rant aside, today the healthy dessert ban is lifted because I had an abundance of chickpeas. This is the way I like to make a dessert recipe, adding powerful ingredients that enhance the flavor/textural food experience. Let's maximize the potential of food rather than being afraid of it.

One more time for the people in the back this is mmmm mmmm good. My body continued to feel alive and well eating it alongside all the other luteal phase supportive recipes I ate this week. For that reason I’m excited to put you on.

The miso cream is optional but it does 10x the deliciousness experience.

• Luteal Phase Recipe

  For a 9 x 12 pan

  3 cups chickpeas

  1/2 cup brown sugar

  1/4 cup nut butter of your choice

  1/4 cup evoo

  1 egg

  1 teaspoon vanilla

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  Pinch of salt

  1 bar of dark chocolate (100-200g)

  For the miso whip:

  250 grams heavy whipping cream, preferably cold

  1 tablespoon honey

  1 teaspoon miso

  Pinch of salt

• Let her cook for luteal...

  1. Set oven to 180C (350F). Line you're baking pan with parchment paper.

  2. Get out the food processor. Start by only adding the chickpeas. Blitz until mostly smooth.

  3. Add the rest of your ingredients except the chocolate. Blend.

  4. Chop the chocolate into rough chunky pieces. Btw opting for the bar and chop over chocolate chips helps give you the chef look in a home kitchen and also gives you more brand variety to choose from.

     Add half the chopped chocolate to the batter and stir in with a spoon. Pour the batter into your lined pan. Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate even over the top. Place in the oven.

  5. I like it a little underdone and more fudgy. For this, take out after 25 minutes. The top should be golden brown and if you stick a tooth pick in it comes out clean. For a cakier, drier texture leave in for another 10 minutes.

     Sprinkle flakey salt on top of the blondies. Let cool and place in the fridge to set.

  6. While the blondies cool make the miso whip. Whip the cream with a mixer or hand blender if you’re blessed. Otherwise manually whip until you have stiff peaks. Gently fold in the honey, miso, and salt. Taste and adjust flavors to your preference.

  7. When it is time to eat, scoop a generous heap of the cream into a bowl. Place the blondie on top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Dig in.

  Enjoy, experiment, hea!