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    Home / Cookies, Brownies, and Bars / bars / Teff Brownies with Salted Tahini Frosting {gluten-free}

    Teff Brownies with Salted Tahini Frosting {gluten-free}

    Published Dec 22, 2016

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Salted tahini makes an addictive topping to bittersweet fudgy brownies made with malty teff flour. Adapted from The Gourmet Kitchen by Jennifer Farley. 

    a plate of Teff Brownies with Salted Tahini Frosting {gluten-free}

    At a dance class the other night, a classmate had been given a box of chocolates for her 60th birthday which she was offering away, claiming that she "doesn't eat chocolate." I assumed she had an allergy – otherwise, why wouldn't one eat chocolate at any and every opportunity? Seeing that they were from my favorite local chocolatier, Michael Recchiuti, and not wanting them to go to waste, I offered to take them off her hands and held mine out to take the box. She looked startled. "I don't want you to get fat," she blurted out.

    stirring chocolate

    I see this sweet woman every Monday in dance class. Together, we've panicked about both the presidential election and challenging choreography. We've shared photos of our cats, discussed our thoughts on animal rights, and walked to our cars together after class. You think you know a person.

    brownie mix in pan

    Seeing the look on her face made me want to burst out laughing. I had just finished telling her about my career as a baker/pastry chef turned food photographer/author, so I was perplexed as to how she thought I could get by in life chocolate-free. Last year, a normal day consisted of baking 5 cakes to test for my book. I had a large jug of hot cocoa, bag of homemade butter toffee, and jar full of our favorite chocolate bars, not to mention two giant bags of chocolate granola, all waiting at home. I spend a large part of each day looking at photos of food – gooey chocolate cakes, plump chocolate chip cookies, glossy brownies – and dreaming of the next vehicle with which to deliver chocolate to my face. In other words, I eat chocolate for a living.

    "I'll manage," I told her.

    frosting in bowl

    In the end, she relented when I promised to share the chocolates (which turned out to be chocolate covered salted caramels) with Jay, who, I made sure to add, was very skinny.

    "So, are you allergic to chocolate or something?" I asked. Her eyes widened.

    "No, I just don't want to get fat!"

    "All things in moderation – except for chocolate," was my reply. Then I went home and baked a batch of these brownies.

    spreading frosting on brownies

    I've been hooked on these beauties from my friend Jen's beautiful new cookbook The Gourmet Kitchen. I've been following Jen's work for years, and have always been struck by how clean and bold her photography is, with flavors to match. The book is full of Jen's elegant imagery, and a varied mix of recipes ranging from family favorites (her grandmother's crab cakes that look insanely good) to eclectic flavors gathered from her travels (spiced baked acorn squash with garlic yogurt) to cozy comfort foods (banana peanut butter layer cake with chocolate ganache and apple cheddar caramelized onion galettes). Jen's recipes are straightforward and simple, with clear instructions that bring cooking school techniques into the home kitchen.

    top down shot of Teff Brownies with Salted Tahini Frosting {gluten-free}

    These brownies are dense and fudgy, and the layer of buttery tahini frosting on top makes them completely addictive. Chocolate and tahini are a beautiful and unexpected match, with the roasty, nutty taste of sesame ricocheting off bittersweet, mellow chocolate – think chocolate and peanut butter. I traded in teff flour for the all-purpose to make these easily gluten-free; it adds a bit of earthy depth.

    Teff Brownies with Salted Tahini Frosting {gluten-free} on plate

    plate full of lovely Teff Brownies with Salted Tahini Frosting {gluten-free}

    Cut these into small squares and stash them in the fridge to keep the frosting firm, and you may find yourself dipping into them with alarming frequency. Or do what I did for my 35th birthday and skip the cake in favor of a pile o' brownies.

    candle on stack of Teff Brownies with Salted Tahini Frosting {gluten-free}

    stack of Teff Brownies with Salted Tahini Frosting {gluten-free}

    More Brownie Recipes:

    • Hazelnut No-Bake Brownies {gluten-free, vegan, refined sugar-free}
    • Gluten-Free Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
    • Warm Chocolate Brownie Cakes with Black Pepper Ice Cream
    • Gluten-Free Brownies (with whiskey!)

    More Tahini Chocolate Desserts:

    • Chocolate Tahini Zucchini Bread (grain-free, vegan)
    • GF Vegan Chocolate Tart with Tahini and Caramel
    • Vegan Hot Fudge Sauce with Tahini (and waffle sundaes)
    • Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Tahini & Maple

    *Thanks for reading! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make these teff brownies, I’d love to see! Tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and  #bojongourmet.*

    Teff Brownies with Salted Tahini Frosting {gluten-free}
    4.6 from 5 votes

    Teff Brownies with Salted Tahini Frosting {gluten-free}

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Salted tahini makes an addictive topping to bittersweet fudgy brownies made with malty teff flour.
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total: 35 minutes
    Servings: 16 small but rich brownies

    Ingredients

    Brownies:

    • 5 ounces (140 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped (around 70% cacao mass)
    • 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus a bit for the pan
    • 1/2 cup (100 g) organic granulated cane sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1/3 cup (55 g) teff flour
    • 1 tablespoon (6 g) tapioca flour

    Frosting:

    • 4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 1/3 cup (80 ml) well-stirred tahini
    • 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar, sifted
    • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

    Instructions

    • Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325ºF. Butter an 8x8-inch baking pan and line it with parchment overhanging on two sides.
    • In a large, metal bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, melt together the chocolate and butter until smooth, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar, then the eggs and vanilla. Sift the teff and tapioca flours and salt into the batter and stir until smooth. Scrape into the pan and spread into an even layer. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 20-30 minutes. Cool completely.
    • Meanwhile, make the frosting. Whip the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle until smooth. Beat in the tahini until smooth, then add the sugar and salt. Increase the speed to medium and whip until light and fluffy, 1 minute.
    • Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies. For the cleanest slices, chill until firm, then cut into squares with a large, sharp chef's knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between each cut. Serve either chilled or at room temperature.

    Notes

    Feel free to trade the teff and tapioca flours for all-purpose if gluten isn't an issue.
    Adapted from The Gourmet Kitchen by Jennifer Farley.
    Nutritional values are based on one of sixteen brownies.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 185kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 2gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 121mgPotassium: 81mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 235IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1.1mg
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

     

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    the cover of the award-winning cookbook, Alternative Baker

    Hungry for more?

    Alternative Baker celebrates the unique tastes and textures of 14 gluten-free flours, from buckwheat flour to almond flour to sorghum and coconut! This cookbook will fill your kitchen with sweet treats that burst with flavor every month of the year.

    Learn more and find out where to buy →

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    Comments

    1. Guy Hide says

      April 17, 2020 at 11:54 am

      Your website is my go to for 'rewards that I will cook myself'. I have so many tabs saved on my computer. As the UK is in locked down (and normal flour is in short supply!?) I finally got round to making these. Rich, dense and the topping is to die for. thank you :) !

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        April 26, 2020 at 12:26 pm

        I'm so glad you liked them and that you're enjoying TBG! Please let me know if you try more recipes. :)

        Reply
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    I'm Alanna, a recovering pastry chef-turned food photographer, stylist, videographer, and award-winning cookbook author. The Bojon Gourmet is a celebration of the sweet, savory, and occasionally boozy recipes that I create in my San Francisco kitchen.

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    the front cover of Alternative Baker, a cookbook by Alanna Taylor-Tobin, winner of the IACP Cookbook Awards

    My cookbook, Alternative Baker, contains 100+ recipes featuring corn, oat, chestnut, almond, buckwheat, sorghum, and other gluten-free flours. Find out where to get your copy! →

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