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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Editor's Choice: Marché Noir Cabernet Brownie

That's right: wine and brownies. It is an embarrassment of riches. Marché Noir, Foods (marchenoirfoods.com)has combined two of my loves into one concoction: the Cabernet Brownie, Brut Cacao. This dark chocolate treat uses Wine Flour (milled from the skins of Cabernet grapes) to make a brownie that is both high in iron, fiber, and Res-V (Resveratrol, a natural anti-oxidant recognized for its significant health benefits particularly in relation to heart diseases and cancer).

Seriously, from the first time I helped my mom pour out that dark, rich batter into a baking pan and watched it rise and darken, I have been searching for a way to make brownies healthy. And the main thing about brownies are the schools of thought on them: cakey and a little arid with a lot of chocolate flavor or moist and fudgey with more butter and sweetness. I am in the former category and not only are these brownies cakey without being dry, but they have a sharp bite of dark chocolate and something a little lower down, which I can only assume is the wine coming out in the flour.

The idea of Wine Flour is interesting as well. Marché Noir also uses the flour in their line of Pasta Caberneti, which is a dark, almost black pasta (that be used in place of Pasta Nera, which contains squid ink and can be a turn-off to American consumers) and contains the same health benefits as the brownies. Additionally, the Wine Flour is a sustainable American agricultural product and can make you customers feel good...well better, about eating brownies, pastas and other carby treats.

- Elizabeth Dugan