Tahini Halva Brownies

These fudgy brownies are studded with small chunks of halva in their center. To add to the sesame theme, the crust is swirled with some tahini just before baking. Of course chocolate is not a Middle Eastern native cultivar, and nor are brownies a Middle Eastern dessert. But the addition of tahini to sweet dishes is absolutely regionally specific. If you think peanut butter is dense for brownies, or if you prefer not to have your peanut butter sweetened, you may have a whole different opinion about tahini.

The moisture level when fresh out of the oven made it seem that they would not hold together, but indeed they did, magnificently.

This recipe, with some modification comes from Ottolenghi’s Sweet. It’s rich and decadent: perfect for a dinner party.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter (plus extra for greasing)

9 oz unsweetened chocolate , broken into pieces

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup plus 3 tbsp flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

7 oz halva, broken into chunks

1/3 cup tahini paste

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Grease a 9″ x 13″ and set aside.
  2. Place the butter and chocolate in a double-boiler and place over a pan of simmering water.  Leave for about 2 minutes to melt, then remove the bowl from the heat.  Stir until the chocolate mixture is shiny, and and set aside until it cools to room temperature.
  3. Place the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk until pale and creamy.  This should take about 3 minutes with an electric mixer, and longer by hand.  Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture with a spatula, being careful not to overwork.
  4. Sift the flower, cocoa powder, and salt into a bowl, and then gently fold the dry mixture into the chocolate mixture.  Finally, add the pieces of halva, folding them in gently.  Pour the mixture into the greased pan, using a small spatula to even it out.  Use a spoon to dollop the tahini paste onto the batter in about 12 different places, then use a skewer to swirl it, creating a marbled effect.
  5. Bake for 23-26 minutes.  The middle will still have a slight wobble and may look a bit undercooked, but they will firm up as they cool down.