Mint Brownies - Made Healthier

My husband requested these brownies after having one at the local Kneaders Bakery. He is a lover of mint chocolate chip ice cream so it didn't surprise me that he loved these brownies. As is usually the case when I experiment with a new recipe, we had some company coming over so I didn't dare trade out too many things. In this recipe, I left the eggs and traded out 1/2 the fat for bean puree. (I may get a little more brave the next time I make this. If I have success, I'll post the updates. I've learned that brownies can be tricky based on some other recipes I've played with so I decided to stay on the safe side.)

Here is the play-by-play:

Mix cocoa with melted butter

Add bean puree

Here they are together in the bowl.

Spray honey measuring cup with oil - this makes the honey slide right out.

Measure and add the honey

Here it is after I've added the sugar and the eggs and creamed it all together.

Add dry ingredients. I used white wheat flour (as opposed to red wheat flour) because the ground white wheat trades easier in recipes and doesn't require that you monkey with the liquid amounts.

They baked up well.

Here is a side view to show you how much they rose - when I first poured the batter in the pan, it didn't look  like very much so I wondered if they would be thin brownies, but no - they ended up thick and wonderful.

Spreading the mint icing

Ready to serve - they are rich so you don't need a big one. One pan will serve 20-24 people easily.

Mint Brownies

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup baking cocoa (not hot chocolate)
1/2 cup white bean puree
2 Tbsp honey
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 1/2 cups Chocolate Icing - make your own or purchase some

Mint Icing
5 Tbsp butter or margarine, softened
dash of salt
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
2 1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring
2-3 Tbsp milk - may not be needed

For brownies - melt butter and mix in cocoa until smooth. Add bean puree, honey, eggs, and sugar. Cream together. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool.

For mint icing - Mix everything together except the milk. Beat until smooth and creamy using a hand mixer. Add just a little milk, if needed, to thin the frosting so it is just a little thinner than traditional cake frosting. (You don't want it too thin or it will run off the brownies.)

Assembling - Spread the mint icing on the brownies when they are completely cool. Place pan in the freezer long enough to stiffen the mint icing. Remove the pan from the freezer and carefully spread a layer of chocolate icing on the top.