Scabana Brownies

I rarely thumb through magazines at the grocery store check-out stand, but this week I did. This recipe looked intriguing. Maybe I'll try it someday!

We did! They're a bit thin and dry, and not very sweet at all (which I expected) but I still liked them.  Wayne not so much. Adding some fudge drizzle and cherry pie filling ought to help. And since they're made with peanut and butter and bananas, I decided to call them Scabana Brownies instead of Protein Brownies. Doesn't that sound more interesting?

Protein Brownies

• 1 ripe banana
• 1/2 cup nut butter
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (or 2 tablespoons almond flour*)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Mash banana and mix with remaining ingredients. Pour into greased 8x8" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

I'll try them again making sure I use a large banana and not a small one. I'll also swap amounts for the cocoa powder and almond flour, and maybe even use almond butter instead of peanut butter. Oh, and double everything, or use an 8x4" loaf pan instead of the small square one.

I did try a second batch, using a large banana, 1/8 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup almond flour and baking in an 8x4" pan for close to 30 minutes. They are thicker and less bitter, but still kind of dry and not terribly sweet. However, they are also more palatable.

*Note that according to AI, almond flour (an ingredient that is in my pantry) is an acceptable substitute for chocolate protein powder (an ingredient that is not in my pantry).