Baker and food writer, Claire Ptak, has kindly shared her delicious tahini halva brownies. The perfect Afternoon Tea treat.
“These have become a staple at my bakery, Violet. Every once in a while we give them a little break from the counter to make space for other recipes, but it never lasts long because people ask for them every day. Halva can be found in many Turkish and Middle Eastern shops or online.”
Ingredients:
- 250g unsalted butter
- 250g dark chocolate
- 4 eggs
- 250g golden caster sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 140g fine spelt flour
- 50g cocoa powder
- 150g tahini paste
- 225g vanilla or marbled chocolate halva, broken into 2cm (¾in) pieces
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt flakes
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/350°F/ gas mark 4. Butter and line a 20×30cm (8×12in) cake tin with baking paper
- Put the butter and chocolate into a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir occasionally until the mixture has melted completely. Set aside to cool slightly
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until combined, taking care not to overwhisk. The idea here is not to add too much air. Stir the eggs into the cooled chocolate mixture with the vanilla extract, then sift in the flour and cocoa powder and fold all together. Pour into your prepared tin
- Drizzle the tahini over the top of the brownie mixture. Dot with halva pieces, then gently run a knife across the surface to marble it. Sprinkle with sea salt, then bake for 25 minutes. The brownies should be just set but still wobbly. Leave to cool in the tin before cutting into rectangles
Top tip
Remember that both brownies and cookies continue to bake while they cool down. It's always a good idea to err on the side of caution and remove the baked goods just before you think they are done to avoid overbaking, and to keep that lovely gooey texture.
Looking for more baking inspiration?
We have some delicious recipes for your Afternoon Tea, with plenty of sweet and savoury options.