It’s been about three weeks since I’ve baked, y’all – that might as well be a lifetime for me! This past month has been an absolute whirlwind, and I’ve just been doing my best to keep my head above water (eclipse season, anyone?) so I haven’t had much time or energy to partake in my usual hobbies. However, maybe because of daylight saving time bringing literally brighter days, or maybe it’s just the onset of spring, but I finally felt my energy lift this week and, like any baker might, I immediately turned to my kitchen.

I have been craving chocolate recently, which always makes me think of Audrey Leonard of Red Currant Bakery’s crinkle top brownie recipe (redcurrantbakery.com). In my opinion, Leonard has the most perfect ultra-fudgy brownie recipe around (trust me, I’ve made it too many times to count), but this week I wanted to try a fun variation on this beloved classic.

A few months ago, my friends and I took a day trip over to Birmingham, Alabama, to visit Last Call Bakery where I encountered a tahini brownie that was absolutely divine. When I opened my pantry and remembered I had just purchased a fresh jar of tahini (ground sesame paste), I knew this was the variation I would go with. Then, in what felt like a serendipitous moment, I looked at Leonard’s brownie recipe and saw in her recipe notes that she had a variation for a raspberry tahini brownie! Opting for strawberries rather than raspberries in order to use what was already in my fridge, I decided that strawberry tahini brownies might just be a funky enough bake to pull me out of the funk I have felt stuck in.

Brownies are pretty subjective; some folks love them fudgy, others cakey, some may love the crispier edge pieces and others may covet that ultra-soft and gooey middle piece. While my preferred brownie texture is super soft and fudgy, I try to place my focus more on the intensity of the chocolate flavor itself. The key to achieving that super rich, strong chocolate flavor is to use good-quality Dutch-processed cocoa powder. While cocoa powder is essentially just ground cocoa, Dutch-processed cocoa powder is made from cocoa beans that have been washed with an alkaline solution that neutralizes some of their natural acidity. This makes for a darker color and smoother flavor than regular cocoa powder.

It’s important to note, if you use Dutch-processed cocoa powder in a bake, you will need to use baking powder instead of baking soda as your leavening agent. Baking soda requires an acidic ingredient to activate it, and because the Dutch-processed cocoa powder has been neutralized, it cannot offer that acidity. Baking powder, however, contains both an acid and a base, so it does not require the addition of an acidic ingredient for activation.

Another fun, food-chemistry-backed ingredient pairing is chocolate with coffee. We all kind of intuitively know this combination works, but it’s actually because the VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, found in each of these ingredients overlap and complement the other on a molecular level. So, another tip to deepen and enrich the chocolate flavor in your brownies is to add a bit of coffee. I opted for Cafe Bustelo’s powdered, instant espresso packets, an ingredient I always keep on hand in my baking cabinet!

It’s hard to want to mess with a classic treat, like a brownie, but this strawberry tahini version really surprised me. I got everything I wanted out of a rich, fudgy brownie, but the strawberries added a bright, jammy sweetness and the tahini paste and sesame seeds added nuttiness, crunch and depth that elevated these to the next level. Using raspberries (like Leonard called for) or even cherries in this recipe would certainly also be delicious!

Now that daylight saving time has arrived and we are back to brighter days, I hope you are also able to shake off any lingering winter funk you might have found yourselves in and that you find time to experiment, play and create in your day-to-day lives! Spring is just a few short weeks away and, just in time, I feel lighter and inspired, so don’t be surprised if you see more strange bakes from me this season – I hope they inspire you to try something new, and who knows, you might even surprise and inspire yourself in the process!

STRAWBERRY TAHINI BROWNIES

Adapted from Red Currant Bakery

Ingredients:
90 grams dark chocolate bar, chopped
200 grams butter
325 grams dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon espresso powder
75 grams cocoa powder, Dutch-processed
3 eggs, standard large
90 grams all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
125 grams chopped strawberries (tossed in 10 grams all-purpose flour to prevent sinking)
60 grams tahini paste
1-2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

Instructions:
■ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place a rack in the center of the oven.
■ Roughly chop the chocolate bar and set aside.
■ Wash five to six large strawberries, remove tops and chop into small pieces. Toss in 10 grams of all-purpose flour and set aside.
■ In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the butter and dark brown sugar. Gently melt and whisk together until the butter is completely melted and the sugar is fully incorporated.
■ Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add cocoa powder, espresso powder, salt and vanilla and whisk again.
■ Crack in eggs, one at a time, whisking until mixed in between each addition.
■ Pour in the flour and baking powder and whisk once more until just combined.
■ Gently fold the chopped chocolate and flour-coated chopped strawberries into the brownie batter until evenly distributed, careful not to overmix.
■ Line a 9-by-9-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper. (If you use two strips and leave some overhang, it will be easier to lift the brownies out of the pan after they are cooled.)
■ Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top if needed.
■ Drizzle the tahini paste over the brownie batter and using a knife, swirl the tahini throughout the batter.
■ Sprinkle the top with a thin layer of white sesame seeds.
■ Bake the brownies in the hot oven for 15 minutes, then rotate 180 degrees and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the edges of the brownies are set and there is only a slight wobble in the center.
■ Remove the pan from the oven. Optionally sprinkle with flaky salt and leave to cool to room temperature. It is important to not cut the brownies until they are completely cooled!
■ Slice the set brownies with a hot knife to get clean cuts and serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy!

Kristin is a Columbus local and a graduate of MUW’s Culinary Arts Program. She lives downtown with her husband, Jon, her naughty cat Sokka and her retired sled dog, Megan. In her free time she enjoys baking, making stained glass art and hanging out with her friends. If you see her in town, say hi!