4.8 from 9 reviews

Teff Brownies with Salted Tahini Frosting {gluten-free}

By Alanna Taylor-Tobin on Dec 22, 2016 (updated Aug 12, 2022) / 43 Comments

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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More Tahini Chocolate Desserts:

*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.*

4.78 from 9 reviews