Recipe Refresh: Date Night Mug Brownies

A familiar scene at our house...
It's Friday night. It has been a long week - work, kids, work, kids, work, kids... Our children are (finally) in bed, and my husband and I are looking at each other, exhausted, wondering if it's even worth trying to piece together some semblance of a date night. I know you know what I'm talking about here. If you have children, I'm sure you've been there too.

This is an all-too-familiar scene at our house, but we recently discovered an antidote to our date night blues. On a recent Friday, while my husband was putting the finishing touches on bedtime with our preschooler, I decided we needed something besides the usual "let's sit together on the couch while we watch something and call it a date." Not having a lot of energy left after a long week, however, I needed something quick, easy, and delectable. These mug brownies were perfect! They're quick (hello, 5 minutes!), they're easy (can you measure a tablespoon and turn on the microwave?), and their warm, fudgy, chocolaty goodness totally hits the spot. Not to mention, this makeover mug brownie is nothing to feel guilty about. At just over 200 calories (vs. more than 500 in the original), this is a dessert to kick back with your feet up and enjoy to the very last scrape (or lick - whichever you prefer to make sure you haven't missed a morsel in the bottom of that mug!) Plus, they're even customizable, so you and your date don't even have to agree on which flavor to make - you can each have it the way you like it.

Our date night was saved, and yours can be too. (Now, if you can only decide which movie to watch...) Here's hoping the kids stay in bed ... Cheers!

Recipe Refresh: Date Night Mug Brownies
1 SERVING (Double for date night) 
PREP: 4 minutes (yes, 4!)     COOK: 30 seconds (yes, seconds!)     
READY IN: 5 minutes (huzzah!)

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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For one serving/mug (Hint: you'll want to make 2 for a successful date night!):

• 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon flour (white whole wheat or all purpose)
• 1 tablespoons almond flour*
• 1/2 egg white 
• splash of vanilla 
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips (or substitute as desired below)

Customize as you like it:

• For Mexican hot chocolate brownie add (per mug): 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
• For mint brownie add (per mug): 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract and substitute 1/2 tablespoon mint chips + 1/2 tablespoon chocolate chips
• For almond delight brownie add (per mug): 1/8 teaspoon almond extract and sprinkle with almond pieces
• For French vanilla brownie add (per mug): another 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and substitute 1/2 tablespoon white chocolate chips + 1/2 tablespoon chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

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1. Choose two microwaveable mugs or dessert bowls. Place one tablespoon each of applesauce, honey, cocoa powder, flour, almond flour, 1/2 egg white, splash vanilla, pinch of salt, and desired flavorings in each mug. Mix completely.
2. Add chocolate chips, and lightly stir in.
3. Microwave, one mug at a time, for 30-35 seconds (will vary depending on your microwave). Try not to overbake or the texture turns spongey - we like it when the inside is still gooey and fudgy.
4. Serve topped with a scoop of ice cream.

*Simple Tip: 

You can use 2 tablespoons flour in place of 1 tablespoon almond flour with 1 tablespoon flour. We prefer adding the almond meal, because it ends up giving it more of the gooey, fudge-like consistency that we like.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 brownie    206 calories   6.9 g fat   34.9 g carbs    5.9 g protein    24.9 g sugar   

Original Recipe	Refresh Recipe
535 calories	206 calories
24.8 g fat (15.5 saturated)	6.9 g fat (2.8 saturated)
79.6 g carbohydrates, 50.7 g sugar	34.9 g carbohydrates, 24.9 g sugar

Recipe adapted from Homemade Toast.
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