Tahini Blondies
I used to work as a baker at a local cafe in my hometown. It was a health-conscious, hippy spot with an apothecary vibe that holds a special place in my heart. Sadly, the cafe closed after just one year due to the pandemic. I became their resident baker almost by chance, as I was looking for work during the peak of the pandemic in April after coming home from backpacking SE Asia for 6 months.
The cafe operated seven days a week with an all-female staff. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, working there was one of the most socially fulfilling, creatively inspiring, and community-oriented experiences of my life. One of the standout recipes I developed was my Tahini Blondies—a rarity on our menu as they used white flour and butter. But let me tell you, they were something special.
Click on the tabs below, and check out the recipe
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Click on the tabs below, and check out the recipe 〰️
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-235 grams melted butter (measured before melted)
-235 grams tahini (make sure its the good stuff. Anything from Ethiopia is amazing)
-4 large eggs
-2 tsp of vanilla
-215 grams flour
-400 grams sugar
-1 big handful of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (I like chunks or a chocolate bar broken up)
-1 tsp kosher salt
-2 tsp baking powder
-Maldon Salt for sprinkling
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-Melt all the butter in a pot or the microwave. If you’re feeling super adventurous, brown the butter for extra richness
-Measure all the wet ingredients into a large metal bowl— but omit the butter
-Measure all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl
-Fold the dry into the wet while mixing the melted butter in slowly. Basically, you’re flip-flopping between mixing the dry into the wet with the butter
-Once combined, add the chocolate chips
-Pour batter into a greased 11x13 inch pan, and place in the oven at 350 for about 1 hour
-When slightly undercooked, raise oven temp to 375 and cook for another 5 minutes (until top is slightly browned, and a bit crunchy
-Once out of the oven, sprinkle with Maldon (or another flaky salt). Do not skip this step!
-Eat warm or the next day, etc. They’re amazing any way you have them.
flavor notes and feelings:
happy memories, richness, a big hug
Chickpea Popovers
These super easy, health focused recipe became a thing when I needed a nightly semi guilt free sweet. I was counting my macros at the time, and didn’t want to ‘waste’ any calories on sugary nonsense carbs…so the result: these little cutie guys. Packed with fiber, protein, low in sugar, individually portioned, and absolutely delicious.
Click on the tabs below, and check out the recipe
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Click on the tabs below, and check out the recipe 〰️
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-15 ounces of drained and cleaned chickpeas. You don’t need to peel off the skin
½ cup nut butter (I personally don’t like peanut butter, so I used Almond Butter and I used Sunbutter as well)
⅓ cup maple syrup
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp coconut sugar
⅓ cup of chopped chocolate
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-Chop chocolate, and move to the side. You can also use chocolate chips here, but the bigger and smaller chunks layered in make these popovers special
-In a blender, blend all ingredients besides chocolate until smooth! Will be thick!
-Fold in chocolate
-Use small popper/muffin tin (about 1 tbsp deep) scoop a hefty tablespoon into each spot. You can also use a brownie sheet and make these as blondies
-Yields about half of a popper tray, or a small 6x6 baking dish
-Cook at 350 for 15 minutes, until the toothpick comes out clean. Let cool and eat when slightly warm!
Black Bean Brownies
Healthy, delicious, and honestly just as good as the real thing, these black bean brownies are a staple in my home; they’re gluten free and vegan and you wouldn’t even know there’s a veggie in there! The black beans are masked by the flavors of the rich cocoa and the sprinkled in chocolate chips, so they oddly taste just as indulgent as the ‘real’ thing, but 10x healthier!
Click on the tabs below, and check out the recipe
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Click on the tabs below, and check out the recipe 〰️
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-32 ounces of black beans, drained and rinsed
-⅔ cup maple or honey
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 cup oats
-4 tbsp cocoa powder
-½ cup melted coconut oil or grape seed
-2 tsp vanilla
-chocolate chips chopped
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-Place all ingredients in a food processor, omitting the chocolate, until completely smooth and blended.
-Fold in the chopped chocolate chips (batter is extremely rich and if chips aren’t chopped, the brownies either going to be too rich, or too gooey, making it seem as though the batter is raw even when they are fully cooked
-Bake at 350 for 25 min in a 9x13 pan
(Brownies will be thin, feel free to double the recipe)
Orange or Lemon
Pistachio Loaf
Pistachios: a highly underrated dessert nut. You always find things with almonds, or peanuts but rarely do you find a pistachio based cake. I came up with this recipe because it was winter time, citrus was in season, and I had a surplus of pistachios laying around (I know, weird). This cake is vegan, unique and absolutely scrumptious, baby! It’s moist center is the perfect consistency to pair with tea or coffee.
Click on the tabs below, and check out the recipe
〰️
Click on the tabs below, and check out the recipe 〰️
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-6 lemons or oranges (pick one fruit; don’t mix and match)
-500 grams of coconut sugar or white.
-100 ml lemon juice or orange juice (fresh squeezed from either or, again don’t mix and match)
-140 grams grape seed oil
-10 tbsp olive oil
-2 cups water
-600 grams flour
-300 grams pulsed nuts (mix and match between almond, pistachio, and walnut or keep it as one nut)
-2 tablespoon baking powder
-2 tsp salt
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-Start off with the hard part: zest all the citrus and place it into a bowl
-Then measure all of the wet (BESIDES THE WATER) ingredients, and place into a bowl
-Separately measure the dry ingredients
-Mix all the ingredients together (including the zest)
-Once combined, gradually add the water to the mixture. Do not over-mix. The consistency should be somewhat runny but still a bit sticky
-Grease a 9x13 inch pan, and spread batter evenly
-Cook for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean, at 325