Chickpea and Tahini Blondies
Chickpea and Tahini Blondies
I was inspired to make this recipe because: a) I love the combination of chickpeas and tahini (think hummus), b) I love the taste of sweetened tahini with a pinch of salt (sort of like salted peanut butter), and c) I have a serious sweet tooth.
Blondies are the given name for brownies made without the chocolate…, and I’m not sure who is responsible for the title. Like brownies, blondies should have a smooth top with just 1 or 2 cracks. This characteristic, plus a nice chewy interior, defines the work of an expert brownie maker.
I think the key to successful blondies is using soft American-style brown sugar…a type of sugar easily made by combining fine granulated sugar (castor sugar if you’re speaking UK English) with molasses. This unique flavor blends nicely with the bitter overtones of the chickpea and tahini to create a mouthwatering balance that is…well, addictive.
Difficulty: moderate
Yield: makes about 15 squares that are 5 cm (2 inches)
Ingredients
75 grams (1/3 cup) Tahini
35 grams (2 1/2 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
150 grams (3/4 cup) of light brown sugar (see tips)
70 grams (1/4 cup) date sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground vanilla
160 ml (1/4 cup) of soy milk
1/2 teaspoon apple vinegar
1 teaspoon egg replacer
60 grams (2/3 cup) chickpea flour
80 grams (1/2 cup) gluten-free flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Method
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F).
Prepare a baking dish. I use a rectangle shape measuring 18 x 28 cm (8 x 12 inches). Lightly coat the bottom of the dish with extra virgin olive oil, then line it with baking paper. Lightly coat the baking paper and the sides of the baking dish with a small amount of oil – just enough to create a light coating.
Whisk together the tahini and extra virgin olive oil in a medium size bowl until creamy. Add the sugars and ground vanilla. Continue whisking until the sugar is incorporated. Mix the soy milk, vinegar, and egg replacer. Fold this liquid mixture into the sugar and tahini mix.
In a separate bowl, combine the chickpea flour, gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Sifting the dry ingredients into a clean bowl is a good idea to help evenly distribute the rising agents.
Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and fold them together until the mixture is smooth. Avoid over-mixing the batter. You want to mix just long enough to create a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. I tap the dish on the kitchen counter to help spread the batter evenly. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. They are done when a toothpick inserted into the blondies comes out clean.
Cool the blondies in the pan for 25 minutes, then invert them onto a clean plate or small cutting board lined with baking paper. Measure and cut out 5 cm (2 inches) squares. Keep them in an airtight container for 1-3 days…but I doubt they will last through the night.
Tips and Variations
You can replace the extra virgin olive oil with unrefined rapeseed oil.
You can make your own American-style brown sugar by combining 500 grams (1 pound) of fine granulated sugar with 60 grams (2 ounces) of dark molasses. Mix everything well using your fingers (this will be messy) until the mixture is golden and slightly moist. Strain the sugar to get rid of any lumps. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Use 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract if you don’t have ground vanilla.
My gluten-free flour mixture has cornstarch, corn flour and guar gum. Use a version with mostly starches and avoid those with too many ingredients – especially the ingredients that are hard to pronounce.
This is a Free Sample of recipes appearing in the Recipe Archive. Become a paid subscriber and get access to hundreds of recipes already published!