Gooey Beetroot & Pomegranate Chocolate Squares

*This recipe was developed for Sasko Flour, who approached me to find ways to use their products creatively. I agreed to this project as Sasko Flour products have been used in our house and my mother’s for so very many years. I’m pretty sure you have a packet of cake flour or self raising flour from them too *

These chocolate squares are gooey and dense and ideal to form into balls for the now popular cake-pops – coat in a thin layer of milk or white chocolate.

I love dried pomegranate arils- their sweetness increases upon dehydration and they look so darn pretty. Save some to sprinkle on top.

I am, in a matter of hours off to Athens. It will be my first visit. The economic crisis is a reality, and none more so than for Greece. The uprisings that tend to break out at any moment are reason for concern, naturally. I suppose the Greek language signs will justify me finally using the phrase “this is Greek to me”. Restaurant and food prices are really high too. I am excited but well aware that I should be alert and careful. I would give someone visiting Cape Town the same advice.

This is of course, an utterly selfish point of view. What about the Greeks living there? I hope to get some inclination, an honest and balanced view.

The problem (oh, what a burden!) of travelling like we have been for 21 days non-stop is the amount of packing, unpacking, checking, document accumulation, running for cabs and metros and planes.  You can tire and lose focus. I lost my bag with my new Nikon camera, lenses and video camera the day before yesterday. I can only blame myself. A little bit awestruck, tired and disorientated. I should know better.

But, I’ve taken a breath in and will try to apply new vigour to this leg of the journey. Nothing will be familiar. Which is wonderful, you’ll agree? And, still around two months to go.

Souvlaki Dimitri, here I come!

Ingredients

3 eggs

1/2 t vanilla extract

200 g butter, melted

250 g Sasko Quick Treats Chocolate Muffin Mix

2 T cacao powder, best quality

1/8 t salt

125 ml finely grated or pulped beetroot

2 T dried pomegranate arils

50 g white chocolate broken into bits plus extra to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180˚ Celsius and grease a 20 x 20 cm baking pan.

Mix eggs and vanilla.

Sift Sasko Quick Treats Chocolate Muffin mix, cacao and salt into a bowl.

Add eggs and melted butter and mix through to combine.

Fold in beetroot and pomegranate arils.

Pour batter into greased pan and bake for 15- 20 minutes or intil a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean.

Will reamin dense and gooey. Cool for 20 minutes.

Cut into squares and remove onto wire rack to cool completely.

Serve with shavings of white chocolate.