This comes from Lisa at eatwiseuk.com - veg scheme member and excellent cook. Check out her website for more deliciousness. She says: "A whole avocado added to the mixture is what makes these brownies so soft and moist and the beetroot adds a subtle rich and earthy flavour which complements the chocolate perfectly. The frosting gives the brownies an indulgent edge, but they're great on their own if you're short on time. They freeze well too - just take them out of the freezer the night before you want to eat them. Makes 12-14 brownies.

Ingredients

2 large, raw beetroot (approx 250g or 2 cups)

1 small, ripe avocado, chopped into chunks (approx 100g when peeled and stoned)

50g coconut oil, melted

150ml maple syrup (or honey)

1 shot espresso, cooled (optional)

3 eggs, beaten together

150g buckwheat flour

50g almond flour

50g cacao powder (or 100% cocoa powder)

2 tsp baking powder

Pinch sea salt

75g high-percentage (min 85%) dark chocolate, roughly chopped into chunks

For the frosting:

Half a ripe avocado

20g coconut oil, melted

25g cacao powder (or 100% cocoa powder)

25g maple syrup (or honey)

Half tsp vanilla powder (or seeds from 1 vanilla pod)

Method

Heat oven to 180C and grease a non-stick, shallow baking tray with coconut oil. Peel and grate the beetroot and put to one side.

Blend together the avocado, coconut oil, maple syrup and espresso, either in a food processor or with a stick blender, until smooth. Transfer the avocado mixture to a large bowl and gently whisk in the grated beetroot and beaten eggs.

In a separate bowl mix together the flours, cacao (or cocoa) powder, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mix to the beetroot mixture and fold in gently with a metal spoon. Stir through the chocolate chunks.

Spoon into the baking tray, smooth the top with a knife, and bake for 20-25 mins until the brownie is well risen, coming away from the tin, and crisp on top. It will crack slightly, but that's fine. Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring to a metal rack to cool thoroughly.

For the frosting: mix all the ingredients together in a blender (or simply mash the avocado with a fork and stir in the remaining ingredients) until it forms a thick and glossy paste. Spread the frosting over the cooled brownie. Cut the brownie into 12-14 bars and store in an airtight container in a cool place (or fridge) for up to three days.