Put a festive spin on this classic chocolate treat.

These apple-fused brownies with pecan nuts and white chocolate are just the right amount of decadent to welcome a festive spirit as the holidays draw near.

Ingredients

1 x 410g tin white beans, drained

60-75ml medium-fat milk

187.5ml pie apples, unsweetened

15ml caramel essence

200ml cake flour

10ml baking powder

2.5ml salt

187ml cocoa

3 eggs

250ml sugar

16 pecan nut halves, roughly chopped

50g white chocolate

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Spray a medium-sized baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Place the drained beans and half the milk in a food processor or liquidiser and process until smooth and the consistency of mashed potato. Add more milk as needed.
Add the pie apples and caramel essence and process again for 1 minute until well mixed and smooth.
In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa.
In a separate large bowl, beat the eggs using an electric beater. Add the sugar and beat into the eggs.
Add one-third of the bean and apple liquid mixture to the egg and sugar mixture, together with one-third of the sifted dry ingredients.
Fold in carefully.
Repeat with the rest of the liquid and dry ingredients. Take care that all the “wet” ingredients do not lie at the bottom of the bowl.
Fold in the chopped pecan nuts.
Pour the batter into the greased baking pan and spread evenly.
Bake for about 40-45 minutes until well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the brownie “cake” comes out clean. If some unbaked batter sticks to the skewer, bake for another 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes in the pan before cutting into 15 squares.
Cool the cut brownies on a cooling rack.
Heat the chocolate gently in the microwave on medium for 30 seconds and then 10 seconds at a time until pourable.
Drizzle over the brownies.