Tahini.
Tahini is a nutty-flavored sesame paste.
Think you are unfamiliar with tahini? In all likelihood, you’ve probably enjoyed it in hummus or baba ghanoush.
For purists, the best tahini is made from ground and roasted humera sesame seeds from Ethiopia. This bias in favor of Ethiopian sesame seeds rests upon the belief that the flavor and texture of the paste is dependent upon the soil where the seeds are grown–the terroir. The tahini’s flavor is affected by the minerals in the soil and the health of the soil. Likewise the seeds need to be properly ground and roasted to maximize the quality of the tahini. I use a brand called Soom for my recipes. Soom is available in some specialty stores and online. Recently, a chef friend recommended the Har Bracha brand. I’ve just added it to my pantry. We’ll see.
Classically, tahini is used plain in recipes, but it is also available in several other varieties–whole grain (ground with the sesame husks intact), green (mixed wth spices and olive oil) and made into a chocolate spread.
Nutritionally, tahini is a mixed bag. It is high calorie and high fat. The fat, however, is considered a “good fat” like the fat in avocados and nuts. Good fat helps lower cholesterol, fights inflammation and supports brain health. Tahini is also a source for vitamin B, magnesium, iron and calcium.
In addition to tahini’s traditional savory uses like hummus, there are a number of wonderful sweet recipes that incorporate tahini. These blond brownie-like cakes are one great example, but you can simple drizzle it on frozen yogurt or ice cream to achieve a solid delicious shell.
This is not Blue Cayenne’s first exploration of recipes with tahini. Type tahini into the search bar on this page and you will find a number of choices including Beets, Celery, Apples and Tahini Salad, Tahini and Miso Butter Baked Pears, Tahini and Honey Banana Bread, and a recipe for a killer Hummus.
This Tahini and Chocolate Chunk Cake is a New York Times recipe. You can find the original here.
Here is the recipe as I prepared it in my kitchen.
Tahini and Chocolate Chunk Cake
Ingredients
- 2 T. vegetable oil
- 2/3 C. tahini (well-stirred)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3/4 C. whole milk
- 3/4 C. plus 2 T. sugar
- 1 T. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
- 2 t. baking powder
- 1 t. kosher salt
- 1 C. coasrely-chopped (or chipped) semisweet chocolate
- 1/4 C. plus 1 T. toasted sesame seeds
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9 inch square pan by greasing it with some vegetable oil and then lining the pan with parchment. Leave two long edges hanging over the sides of the pan to use as handles to remove the cake from the pan after it is baked and cooled.
- Step 2 Using a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer whisk the oil and the tahini together.
- Step 3 Add egg, egg york, and milk to the tahini/oil mixture. Whisk these ingredients together until you have a smooth mixture.
- Step 4 Whisk the sugar and vanilla into the tahini batter.
- Step 5 Using a rubber spatula, fold the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt into your tahini mixture.
- Step 6 Set aside 2 T. of chocolate chunks. Fold the remainder of the chocolate into your batter along with 1 T. of sesame seeds.
- Step 7 Transfer the batter to your prepared pan. Sprinkle with the reserved chocolate, the remaining 1/4 C. sesame seeds (roasted), and the reserved 2 T. sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Your cake is done when it is a little puffed and firm to the touch. A skewer inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Remove the baked cake and let is cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. After 10 minutes, lift the cake from the pan and continue to cool on a wire rack.
- Step 8 Serve plain or with a scoop of quality vanilla ice cream.
