Tahini halva brownies

It's starting to get cold in Newstead. I don't even really eat brownies so I've no idea why I decided I wanted to bake them yesterday. I'm still trying to get my head around Anto's oven. Anyway we made them in his enormous heavy baking tray lined with parchment paper. They were flatter than I expected (and took a bit longer to cook) but they were FUCKING DELICIOUS. 'Even though we're not dessert people' etc.

OG recipe here. 

Ingredients

Yield:24 brownies

• 4ounces/115 grams pitted dates (⅔ cup packed)
• 2cups/480 milliliters boiling water
• ¾cup/180 milliliters extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
• 1½cups/270 grams spelt flour
• ¾cup/90 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½teaspoons baking powder
• ¾cup plus 2 tablespoons/210 milliliters unsweetened almond milk or oat milk
• ¾cup/180 milliliters maple syrup
• ¾cup/120 grams coconut palm sugar (see Tip)
• ½cup/120 milliliters tahini
• 1tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½teaspoon fine sea salt
• 4ounces/115 grams vegan bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
• 3ounces/90 grams vegan halvah (see Tip), finely crumbled (about ⅔ cup)
• 4teaspoons white sesame seeds
• ½cup/70 grams finely chopped toasted Marcona almonds or roasted cashews
• 1teaspoon flaky sea salt

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Preparation

1. Step 1

   Place dates in a medium heatproof bowl and pour boiling water on top to cover. Let soak until dates are softened, about 20 minutes, then drain well.

2. Step 2

   Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish with parchment paper; brush paper and sides of pan lightly with olive oil and set aside. Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into a large bowl; whisk to combine and set aside.

3. Step 3

   Place drained dates, almond milk, maple syrup, coconut sugar, tahini, vanilla, fine sea salt and ¾ cup olive oil in a food processor; blend until smooth. Pour into the sifted flour mixture and whisk just until combined. Fold in the chopped chocolate and halvah. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and spread out in an even layer using an offset or rubber spatula. Sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds, then almonds.

4. Step 4

   Bake until edges pull away from the sides of the dish and a toothpick comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and let cool completely. Refrigerate until cold and firm before cutting. Bring to room temperature before eating, or enjoy them cold, straight out of the fridge.

Tips

• If you want sweeter brownies, you can increase the amount of coconut palm sugar to 1 cup.
• Some halvah may contain egg whites or honey, so be sure to check the ingredient list on the packaging if you’re vegan.

Another bolognese

This is a New York Times recipe I made for my hick about a month ago. I think I still prefer the one that takes about eight years to cook (noted elsewhere on this sporadically maintained blog), but for a happy Sunday afternoon's not-too-fussy pasta sauce it's perfect. x

 

Ingredients

Yield:About 6 cups

• 1cup shelled walnuts (about 100 grams), chopped into pieces no larger than ¼-inch (see Tip)
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1pound fresh mushrooms (preferably half shiitake and half cremini)
• ½cup olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2teaspoons soy sauce
• 2teaspoons thick, syrupy balsamic vinegar (optional)
• 1medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1⅓ cups)
• 1medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2celery stalks, peeled and finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
• 4garlic cloves, chopped
• 1teaspoons dried oregano
• ¾teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 3tablespoons tomato paste
• 2teaspoons Marmite
• ½cup dry vegan red wine
• 1(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• Linguine, fettuccine or other long pasta (about 4 ounces per serving), cooked until al dente
• Minced fresh parsley or sliced fresh basil, for serving (optional)

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Preparation

1. Step 1

   Add the chopped nuts to a large Dutch oven or heavy pot and toast over medium, stirring frequently, until they visibly sweat and become fragrant, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

2. Step 2

   Prepare the mushrooms: Stem the shiitake mushrooms (reserve the stems another use), if using, then wipe the mushroom caps clean using damp paper towels. Chop the caps into ¼-inch pieces. (Resist the urge to use a food processor here, which will chop the mushrooms unevenly.)

3. Step 3

   Wipe out the pot, then heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add half the mushrooms and ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the toasted walnuts, then repeat with the remaining mushrooms and the remaining ½ teaspoon fennel seeds. Stir the soy sauce into the mushroom mixture, then the balsamic (if using). Set aside.

4. Step 4

   Wipe out the pot, then heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium. Add the onion, carrot and celery, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to caramelize and brown at the edges, about 7 minutes. Stir in the mushroom-walnut mixture, garlic, oregano and red-pepper flakes, and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and Marmite, and cook, stirring frequently, until darkened and caramelized, 4 to 5 minutes.

5. Step 5

   Pour in the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the alcohol cooks off and the liquid reduces until thick and sticky, 3 to 4 minutes.

6. Step 6

   Add the crushed tomatoes, along with 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer over high.

7. Step 7

   Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are cooked through and flavors meld, 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil, for richness, then season to taste with salt and pepper. (Makes about 6 cups.)

8. Step 8

   Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1½ cups pasta water.

9. Step 9

   Toss the cooked pasta with the desired amount of sauce (about ¾ cup to 1 cup per serving), adding pasta water as needed so sauce is glossy.

10. Step 10

    Divide cooked pasta among shallow bowls and top with more sauce. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley or basil, if using, and serve immediately. (Leftover sauce will keep covered in the refrigerator for a few days, or frozen for up to 3 months.)

Tip

• You might be tempted to pulse the nuts in a food processor, but beware: It’s easy to accidentally pulverize them this way. Small pieces will burn by the time all the nuts are properly toasted, so chopping by hand is preferred.