Spiced Chocolate Beet Brownies

From the PlanTea gardening website, www.plantea.com. These brownies are secretly nutritious!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter (or ¼ cup butter and ¼ cup applesauce)
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar (packed) or less to taste
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ½ cups unbleached white flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup cooked beets (or one 15-ounce can, drained and mashed)
• ½ cup finely chopped almonds (optional)
• ½ cup wheat germ

Directions

1. Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Set aside to cool.
2. In a separate bowl, beat eggs until light in color and foamy. Add sugar and vanilla and continue beating until well creamed.
3. Stir in chocolate mixture, followed by applesauce and beets.
4. Sift together flour, salt, spices and baking powder and stir into creamed mixture.
5. Fold in wheat germ and almonds.
6. Turn into greased 9x13-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool before cutting into squares.