Soy Milk and Spicy Okara Brownies

I'm pretty sure that I was a chipmunk in a previous life.  At dinnertime as a kid, I used to chew and then keep my food in my cheeks until they burst.  Plus I'm a burrower.  I love snuggling up into a cozy corner or into a little ball when I sleep.  I love any kind of nook, reading nooks, breakfast nooks, cranny nooks.  I know there are other animals that burrow too but chipmunks are much cuter than rats.


So what could be better than burrowing up with a rich chocolate brownie and a cold glass of milk?  Perhaps a cold glass of soy milk and soy spicy dark chocolate brownie?  

I was asked to try out a soy milk maker and as soon as I read the instructions, my mind was brimming with ideas.  Soy milk, almond milk, horchata!  So I started with a basic soy milk recipe to see how this baby worked.  Well I must say, having a machine makes it so much easier to make soy milk.  Normally you would have to blend the soya beans in a blender, strain and then heat in a saucepan.  But with a machine, it does it all for you and clean up is super easy.  What's left in the machine is the soy bean pulp (otherwise called okara) which can be used in many recipes.  I had a nagging craving for something chocolate so I decided on brownies and added a little kick to them.  The "mayan" spices really emphasize the dark chocolate and leaves a little heat in your mouth.  Perfect with a cold refreshing glass of soy milk!   


Keep reading for the recipes...

Soy Milk Recipe
1 cup of soaked and drained soya beans (soaked in water for 8 hours)
1 L of warm water
Follow your soy milk maker manual.   Let cool before serving. 

Spicy Mayan Okara Chocolate Brownies
slightly adapted from The Okara Project

Dry Ingredients

1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Sift dry ingredients together and set aside.

Wet Ingredients

1 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup wet okara (straight from the machine)
1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate
1/4 cup of your freshly made soy milk
1/2 cup grape seed oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract


Combine dark brown sugar, okara, dark chocolate and soy milk in saucepan.  Heat and stir until chocolate is melted.  Remove from heat and add grape seed oil and vanilla.  

Mix together dry and wet ingredients until just combined.  Pour mixture into an 8x8 parchment lined pan.


Bake at 325F for 30 minutes.  Devour!