One-Bowl Dark Chocolate Tahini Blondies

• Unsalted Butter: You will need to melt the butter for making these blondies. It is very important to have your butter at room temperature. You can ensure this by lightly pressing your finger on the block of butter. It should slightly leave an imprint. I also prefer to use unsalted butter because salted butters have varying amounts of salt content in them and it is always a good idea to add it on your own and avoid your bakes from being too salty.
• Dark brown Sugar: You will need dark brown sugar to make this recipe as it adds to chewiness and better overall flavour. Brown sugar helps to add moisture, softness & chewiness to the cookies. Blondies typically have way more brown sugar than granulated sugar which is what gives them their distinct flavour. If you’re in a fix you can swap this for light brown sugar.
• Granulated Sugar: Along with adding sweetness, granulated sugar helps the blondies hold their perfect shape and structure.
• Eggs: Use large eggs and bring them to room temperature before mixing in. Eggs strengthen the binding of your bakes and also add moisture. Having your eggs at room temperature makes it easier to incorporate them and allow them to mix thoroughly in your batter. A good way of doing this is by letting them sit in a bowl filled with room temperature water for around 10 minutes or until they come down to room temperature.
• Tahini: Use a natural & drippy tahini for best results. A brand that lists raw sesame seeds in the ingredients is preferable as compared to one with any other additives as they can alter the flavor of your blondies.
• Espresso Powder: Such small quantities of espresso powder will not add any coffee flavor to your blondies but rather, it will only enhance the flavor of chocolate in them, thus making them even more delicious!
• Cold water: To get the best flavours out of the espresso powder, you must dissolve it in cold water before adding it in your bakes.
• Vanilla: I highly recommend that you use a high quality, pure vanilla extract. This helps in giving a rich flavor to your baked goods. Pure vanilla extracts are typically dark brown in color. This enhances the flavor of all ingredients and you should never leave this out.
• All-purpose flour: I highly recommend weighing all your ingredients using a kitchen scale for accurate recipe results. If you’re using cups, don’t scoop your cup into the flour. Spoon the flour into your cup and level it off with the back of a knife.
• Chocolate: I highly recommend using good quality baking chocolate chips or chocolate bars (I use callebaut) to ensure the best flavor.
• Flaky sea salt: These blondies are lastly sprinkled with flaky sea salt for the best flavours.

The main difference between a blondie and a brownie is the chocolate. Blondies are occasionally referred to as “blonde brownies”. They do not contain any cocoa powder or chocolate in the batter. Also, they are primarily made with brown sugar to add more chewiness and also a butterscotch caramel like flavour which makes them stand out from brownies. They’re definitely a treat that is very easy and so delicious at the same time!

There are a lot of ways to check if blondies are baked. You should take them out of the oven when their edges seem set and start to pull away from those of your pan. Your blondies will be gooey in the middle at this stage. You can check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center and taking them out of the oven if it comes out clean. Blondies become hard when left in the oven for too long, so it’s best to keep a constant eye on them especially when they seem almost done. They will continue to bake and firm up as they cool.

You can scale this recipe as you’d prefer. This becomes a lot easier to do if you’re using a kitchen scale. However, if you’re doubling this recipe you can bake it in a 9×13 pan and increase the baking time by a few minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Yes ofcourse, feel free to replace the dark chocolate chunks with 1 cup of chocolate chips or any other add ins like walnuts etc.

• Dark Chocolate Tahini Thumbprint Cookies
• Chocolate Espresso Babka
• Small Batch Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

• To make sure the blondies set up, cook through, and hold their shape, I highly recommend a quality metal baking pan instead of glass or ceramic as those materials take longer to heat up and cook.
• You should take blondies out of the oven when their edges seem set and start to pull away from those of your pan. Your blondies will be gooey in the middle at this stage. You can check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center and taking them out of the oven if it comes out clean. They tend to become hard if left in the oven for too long.
• This recipe calls for dark brown sugar as it adds to the butterscotch caramel like flavour that blondies have along with chewiness. However, if you’re in a fix you can always swap it out for light brown sugar.
• I highly recommend investing in an oven thermometer and a kitchen scale. Baking at accurate temperatures and weighing your ingredients correctly ensure that you can replicate the recipes perfectly and enjoy the best flavors.

Happy Baking!