📖 Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal. This step is super important – trust me, you don't want your beautiful brownies stuck to the pan!
2. Bake the purple sweet potato: Wash and pierce the sweet potato a few times with a fork. Wrap it in aluminum foil and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until it's very soft and easily pierced with a fork. Alternatively, you can microwave it for about 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through. This step is to ensure the sweet potato has the right consistency.
3. Prepare the sweet potato puree: Once the sweet potato is cool enough to handle, peel it and mash it thoroughly with a fork or potato masher until smooth. You should have about 1 cup of mashed sweet potato. If there are lumps, try using a blender or a food processor.
4. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil: In a heatproof bowl set over a simmering pot of water (or in the microwave in 30-second intervals), melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together, stirring until smooth. Let it cool slightly. Be careful not to burn the chocolate!
5. Combine the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed sweet potato, melted chocolate mixture, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Make sure everything is well combined and there are no lumps.
6. Add the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; it's okay if there are a few streaks of flour. Overmixing can lead to tough brownies.
7. Fold in the chocolate chunks (optional): If using, gently fold in the chocolate chunks. This adds extra chocolatey goodness and a nice textural element.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan: Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly. You might need to use a spatula to get into all the corners.
9. Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Be careful not to overbake, as this will result in dry brownies. They should be fudgy in the center.
10. Cool and slice: Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before lifting them out using the parchment paper overhang. Cut into squares and serve. Resist the urge to cut them while they're still warm – I know it's tempting, but they'll be much easier to slice when cool.