tahini brownies.

Hi!   It's been a weird not-at-all relaxing December.  Work has been exceptionally nutty and for that reason I'm not in the holiday mindset or in the holiday spirit.  Everything about the holidays has exhausted me this year. I tried listening to Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You on repeat to get out of this funk and that did't help.  (Instead I've reverted to Joni Mitchell's River which will always and forever be the greatest Christmas song though the furthest thing from uplifting.)

For a lot of the above reasons, I didn't attempt too many new cookies this year because it all seemed like a lot of work.   Instead I relied on some old favorites (like these and these) to contribute to the annual Cavagnolo cookie-plate extravaganza.  I'm still working on the perfect ginger-molasses cookie.  The first batch I made was good flavorwise but totally wrong when it came to texture.  I'm in the process of making a second batch and tweaked some things.  Will see what happens.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  

I did make one new recipe.  These brownies which have been calling my name in the new Ottolenghi Sweet cookbook for sometime.  These are decadent but my god are they unreal.  The tahini and chocolate pairing makes these really special.  Like holiday table special.   Since they are rich, they can be cut into tiny squares which means they are great for sharing.  And if you do have any left, they freeze brilliantly (I actually prefer them frozen).  

Tahini Brownies 
Recipe tweaked slightly from Sweet 

1 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp/250 g unsalted butter, cut into 3/4-inch/2-cm cubes, plus extra for greasing 
9 oz/260 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into 1 1/2-inch/4-cm pieces 
4 large eggs 
1 1/3 cups/280 g granulated sugar 
3/4 cup plus 3 tbsp/120 g all-purpose flour 
1/3 cup/30 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder 
1/2 tsp salt 
7 oz/200 g halva, broken into 3/4-inch/2-cm pieces  (can be omitted if you can't find)
1/3 cup/70 g tahini paste 
1/4 cup cocoa nibs (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Grease your chosen pan and line with parchment paper, then set aside.

Place the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure that the base of the bowl is not touching the water. Leave for about 2 minutes to melt, then remove the bowl from the heat. Stir until you have a thick shiny sauce and set aside to come to room temperature.

Place the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until pale and creamy and a trail is left behind when you move the whisk; this will take about 3 minutes with an electric mixer, longer by hand. Add the chocolate and fold through gently with a spatula—don’t overwork the mixture here.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt into a bowl, then gently fold into the chocolate mixture. Finally, add the pieces of halva, gently fold through the mix, then pour or scrape the mixture into the lined baking pan, using a small spatula to even it out. Dollop small spoonfuls of the tahini paste into the mix in about 12 different places, then use a skewer to swirl them through to create a marbled effect, taking the marbling right to the edges of the pan.

Bake for about 23 minutes, until the middle has a slight wobble and it is gooey inside—they may be ready anywhere between 22 and 25 minutes. If using the 12 x 8-inch/30.5 x 20-cm pan, they will need a couple minutes less cooking time. They may seem a little undercooked at first, but they firm up once they start to cool down. If you want to serve them warmish (and gooey), set aside for just 30 minutes before cutting into 16 pieces. Otherwise, set aside for longer to cool to room temperature.

Storage: These will keep well for up to 5 days in an airtight container. They also freeze well, covered in plastic wrap, for up to a month. When you take them out of the freezer, they are uncommonly good eaten at the half-frozen, half-thawed stage.