Black Bean Brownies

So, in my search for things that are low carb or no carb, things with no sugar, or no flour, or gluten free, I've been finding some interesting ideas.  One of them was black bean brownies.  Now... before you say EW and skip this post, hear me out.
I will be flat out honest.... you could tell they weren't plain 'ol traditional brownies.  BUT... they did taste good.  They had more of a dark chocolate, fudge brownie-ness to them, and the texture wasn't quite like a flour-filled treat, and they are better cold, or room temperature (for me at least).
In the recipe, I used Splenda, but next time, I think I will try Stevia so there is no faux-sugar aftertaste.

Black Bean Brownies

1 (15 oz.) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. Splenda (if your like us, you might want them a little sweeter, so add another tablespoon or two of splenda)
2 large eggs
1/3 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Drain and rinse black beans as thoroughly as possible. Add eggs, beans, and melted butter into the bowl of a food processor (I used my magic bullet since I don't have a food processor). Blend until smooth. Add in cocoa, vanilla and salt and blend until completely pureed. Gently stir in chocolate chips then pour into an 8"x8" pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.
You could add walnuts to this... and I will be experimenting with this recipe to see how peanut butter brownies or even cheesecake brownies could be made.

What I LOVE about this recipe is that it didn't raise my blood sugar.  And I felt good about eating it.  I did serve it with a "whipped topping" that I made, but I didn't measure when I made it, so here is my estimates for it. 

1/4 cup Sour Cream
1/2 a block of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup of whipping cream
3 tablespoons of Splenda
5 heaping spoonfuls of unsweetened cocoa powder
Using mixer, beat until smooth and fluffy.  It should expand a good bit.  Since I didn't bother to measure, and I'm only guessing... taste it as you go.  Add more or less, this is not an exact recipe.  (The brownies are tho... I have learned to MEASURE measure measure when I bake!!!).

Glycemic WHat?

The glycemic index, glycemic impact, and glycemic load are words you will see here a lot. I am on a quest to keep my blood sugars low naturally after fighting with diabetes for a few years. One of the ways to keep blood sugar low to not eat any carbs or sugar... which is impossible. Another way is to watch how the sugars and carbs you put into your body affect your blood sugar. Im choosing that way, because I may be awesome, but Im not that awesome! :o) Here is some info about all this:

What is the Glycemic Index?
The glycemic index is a way of measuring the relative impact of foods on blood sugar levels. Foods with a high glycemic index have carbohydrates that the body can quickly convert to sugar, which makes them more likely to cause a quick rise in blood sugar. Many popular diets (Atkins and South Beach, for example) include food choices based on the glycemic index.
To determine the glycemic index of a food, human subjects are given a portion of a single food and their blood sugar is tested at intervals. The resulting response curve is compared to a control substance (either glucose or white bread) and assigned a numerical value. Glucose (or white bread) is given an arbitrary rating of 100, and all other foods are measured relative to that. Foods that rate above 100 are foods whose carbohydrates digest very quickly and are likely to raise the blood sugar immediately, while those with an index lower than 100 have less impact on the blood sugar.
What Makes a Food Low Glycemic?
Foods with few to no carbohydrates, like meats, cheeses and fats, will likely result in a glycemic index close to zero. The fewer easily-digested sugars and starches a food contains, the less likely it is to create a spike in blood sugar. Dietary fiber, while classified as a carbohydrate, passes through the system undigested, so it has no impact on blood sugar. In fact, fiber works to help slow the absorption of digestible carbohydrates.
Combining High and Low Glycemic Foods
The glycemic index of individual foods can be used as a guideline for meal preparation, but since most of us do not make an entire meal of one food, the interaction of foods in the stomach must also be taken into consideration.
Some foods act to reduce the overall glycemic level of a meal. Similar to the effect of dietary fiber, fats consumed with a higher glycemic food can also help to curb its blood-sugar-raising property. Likewise, vinegar has been found to inhibit the digestion of starches in the stomach. So, for instance, starting your dinner with a salad dressed in italian dressing (fiber + fat + vinegar) should lessen the impact of high glycemic foods in the meal.
What is Glycemic Load?
Like the glycemic index, the glycemic load of a food is used to characterize its potential effect on blood sugar. A food may have a high glycemic index, meaning the carbohydrate it contains will quickly convert to sugar, but if that food does not contain much carbohydrate per average serving, there will not be much impact on the blood sugar.
To calculate the glycemic load of a food, multiply its glycemic index by the number of digestible (non-fiber) carbohydrates in a single serving, then divide by 100. That number may be interpreted as follows:

20 and above = high glycemic load
10 to 19 = medium glycemic load
less than 10 = low glycemic load

Here are some websites for more info:
http://www.glycemicindex.com/
http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/glycemic-index
http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm

If you know of any other websites, please let me know!! Im still learning about this and trying to make better choices for all of us!!
:o)