Decadent Tahini Brownies

Tahini isn't just for making Hummus and Baba Ganoush anymore. It's also best for making the most decadent, rich, chewy and moist vegan brownies ever. I love how the nutty taste of sesame melds with chocolate. So good!

I used Mood Food's Tahini Brownie recipe. As I didn't have dark baking chocolate, I used dutch processed cocoa powder. Along the way I had to modify the amount of orange juice to produce a spreadable consistency.


Tahini Brownies

• 100g dutch processed cocoa powder
• 150g white graulated sugar 
• 150g Flour
• 200 ml pulpy orange juice 
• 150g Tahini
• 1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
• Pinch of salt

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Directions:

1. Combine all dry ingredients.
2. Add tahini paste and orangejuice  to dry mixture. Combine well.
3. Transfer to a prepared pan and bake at 350F until done.

Dulce de Leche Delight

Dulce de leche has got to be my next favorite flavor after chocolate. I spoon it on ice cream and cookies, frost on chiffon cake and yes, eat it straight from the jar. Check out my My favorite recipe from David Leibovitz. 

Dulce de Leche Recipe 

(Recipe from David Leibovitz)

Preheat the oven to 425° F (220° C).

1.Pour one can of sweetened condensed milk  into a  shallow baking dish.

2. Set the pie plate on a baine marie. Make sure the water reaches halfway up the side of the baking dish.

3.Cover baking dish w ith aluminum foil and bake for 1 to 1¼ hours. Make sure the baine marie is filled with water at all times.

3. Remove from oven once the Dulce de Leche is nicely browned and caramelized.

Coffee Prince Mocha Brownie Bites

I've made this mocha-licious petite treat as a tribute to my favorite romantic Korean TV drama Coffee Prince. Just like coffee, this TV drama is so deliciously addicting that I've watched it a gazillion times yet never fail to fall in love with it over and over again.

Coffee Prince Mocha Brownie Bites features moist mocha brownie baked like a tiny pudding and laced with rich chocolate ganache sauce and topped with a chocolate covered coffee bean. With each bite you'll fall in love just like Choi Han Gyul and Go Eun Chan!

Also enjoy a byte of coffee inspired music from the Coffee Prince soundtrack:




Coffee Prince Mocha Brownie Bites

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

• 1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tbsp  hot water
•  1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Chocolate ganache 
• Meiji Coffee Beat  Coffee Bean Candy

 Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Grease mini silicon baking cups. Melt butter over low heat in the microwave. Remove from heat and add cocoa powder and mix well. Add sugar and blend well. Dissolve instant coffee in hot water and mix into the creamed mixture.

3.Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Stir in vanilla, flour and salt. Bake until done. For a really moist texture, underbake for a few minutes. After cooling, remove brownie from silicon cupcake mold.

4. Invert brownie cupcake and spoon hot ganache over it. Top with chocolate covered coffee bean.

When Life Gives you Lemons, Make Lemon Poppy Seed Loaves

I love the delicious lemony tartness of this simple lemon poppy seed loaf recipe taken from the cookbook Loaves, Cakes and Quiches with Friends by Ilona . It pairs wonderfully with your favorite tea!

Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

2 unwaxed lemon
3 eggs
170 g (6oz) caser sugar
150 g (5 oz) unslated butter, melted
3 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of bicarbinate of soda
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a loaf tin and slightly dust with flour.

2. Wash the lemons. Grate the zest if 1 lemon and squeeze the juice from both. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until thick and frothy. Gradually incorporate the flour and melted butter. With a spaula, fold in the baking powder,bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice and poppy seeds. Fold just until well blended.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 50 minutes, until the tip of a knife inserted in the centre of the comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin before turning out.

Polka Dot Chocolate Lollipops

 

When I'm too busy to whip up a quick gift, I make these dotted chocolate lollipops! All you need are lollipop sticks, lollipop candy mold, a block of semi-sweet meltable chocolate, confetti sprinkles and you're ready to go.

Polka Dot Chocolate Lollipops

Materials:

• Lollipop sticks
• Candy mold for lollipops
• Semi sweet chocolate block
• Roundconfetti sprinkles (or any sprinkle of your choice)
• Cellophane sleeve
• Colorful ribbon 

 Instructions:

1.Slightly grease lollipop molds with vegetable oil.
2. melt semi-sweet chocolate block in double broiler.
3. Insert lollipop stick to chocolate mold.
3. Pour melted chocolate to mold using a teaspoon.
4. Carefully arrange round confetti sprinkles on  the surface of the chocolate.
5. Allow to cool until chocolate has solidified.
6. When cool, wrap individual lollipops in cellophane sleeve and tie with a ribbon.

Hoddeok Happy

While searching for oriental inspired snack alternatives online, I came across this wonderful Korean winter street food  Hoddeok recipe from the fabulous Korean food blog Maangchi.   Hoddeok is a  sweet pancake filled with sticky brown sugar syrup. It's a very heartwarming snack that's also perfect for brunch.  I love this snack so much that I can't wait to make it again!

Maangchi's Hoddeok Recipe 

Ingredients:

Yeast starter 

1 cup lukewarm water
2 tsp yeast
2 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups all purpose flour 

1. To make hoddeok dough, place 1 cup of lukewarm water into a mixing bowl. Add 2 tbs white sugar, 2 ts yeast, ½ ts salt, 1 tbs vegetable oil, and stir  until dissolved.

2. Add 2 cups of all purpose flour and mix by hand. Let the dough rise in a plastic covered bowl  at room temperature for 1 hour until double in size. Knead dough  to remove the gas bubbles.

3. Let it rise for another 10-20 minutes.

Hoddeok Filling:

½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tbs chopped walnuts

1. To make Hoddeok, take 1 dough ball, flatten it, and put some  cinnamon sugar filling in the center of the dough  and then seal it to make a ball. Knead the dough again to remove the gas bubbles.

2. Place and spread about ½ cup flour on your cutting board. Put the dough on your cutting board and knead it. Make it into a lump, and cut it into 8 equal-sized balls. Repeat this 8 times to make 8 stuffed balls.

Heat up your non-stick skillet pan over medium heat and add some vegetable oil. Place 1 ball on the pan. Press the dough with spatula to flatten it. Cook until golden brown on both sides.

Recipe from Maangchi