Cacao Brownies Thins with Salted Pumpkin Seeds

I’ve just done a bit of reflecting and counted up legitimately four places in my house (outside of my kitchen) where I’ve stashed little bits of chocolate.  My guest room has a vase (no joke) oh Hershey’s kisses on the third shelf to the right.  There is a container of chocolate covered almonds next to the large mixing bowls.  There are a few chocolate bars in the drawer next to the extra silverware for dinner parties, and a small bag of peanut M&M’s in my bedside table.  

The thing is, if I have too many chocolate options greeting me every time I open my pantry, I’m liable to make only one choice:  chocolate all the time.  With the chocolate spread through the house, it’s like going on an Easter egg hunt every time I have a craving… which is, not infrequent and also not a crime.  

My friend Maggie’s new book A New Way To Food respect our deep need for chocolate but frames her recipes along side her journey towards a healthy and nourishing relationship with food.  Her recipes are thoughtful and decadent, treats for wholesome meals everyday.  I’ve made a handful of her recipes by now (tacos from scratch, a fermented crudito, and ricotta from almonds) and it’s been so fun experimenting with new techniques and new-to-me ingredients – and the food has been stellar!  I can’t recommend this book enough.  The words are honest and encouraging and the recipes are playful and approachable and exciting!  

And today – we’ll make brownie thins about it.  Let’s! 

We’ve got simple and wholesome ingredients before us.  

•  olive oil (I used my new favorite California olive oil: Enzo) instead of melted butter or a more neutral oil because I like the depth of flavor. 

•  maple syrup as sweetener.

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