Chocolate Tahini Traybake Food

CHOCOLATE TAHINI CAKE WITH TAHINI FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line the bottoms of two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the milk, tahini, oil, vanilla and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Whisk in the coffee.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Let cool in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes and then remove to the rack to cool completely.
• For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and tahini until creamy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and mix to combine. Mix in the vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
• Put one cake layer on a serving plate and top with some of the frosting, then top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake and serve at room temperature.

TAHINI HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Stir in the tahini, vanilla and salt. It will thicken as it cools. (At this point, it can be kept in a jar in the fridge for about 1 week. Great spread on toast or by the spoonful!)
• Heat the milk in a saucepan, stirring frequently, until steaming. Add the chocolate-tahini mixture and whisk until smooth. Serve hot!

CHOCOLATE TAHINI MOUSSE

Steps:

• Make the cream for the chocolate mousse: Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk or beaters, combine 3/4 cup cream, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt. Whip to medium-firm peaks, then transfer whipped cream to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to finish the mousse in Step 6.
• Prepare the tahini mousse: In the same mixer bowl (no need to wipe it out), combine confectioners' sugar, tahini, crème fraîche, vanilla extract and salt. Beat everything together until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly beat in cream until the tahini mousse thickens. It will be thinner than whipped cream but should still mound on a spoon. Refrigerate while you finish preparing chocolate mousse.
• Place chocolate in a small bowl. Melt in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst. Heat an inch of water in a medium pot over medium-high until simmering. (Alternatively, put chocolate into a large heatproof bowl and place it over the simmering water. Stir chocolate occasionally with a silicone spatula until it melts.)
• Remove bowl of melted chocolate from the pot. Pour in remaining 1/4 cup cream, and let sit for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold in 1/3 of the prepared whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, then fold in remaining whipped cream.
• Gently fold tahini mousse into chocolate mousse, leaving very visible streaks. Place mixture in serving bowls or ramekins, and chill until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• As mousse sets, make the candied cacao nibs (if using): Heat oven to 325 degrees, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small pot, bring sugar and 1/4 cup/60 milliliters water to a boil, and simmer, stirring, until sugar has completely melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cacao nibs.
• Spread nibs in an even layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake until dry and crunchy, about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Let cool completely.
• Spoon nibs, if using, on top of mousse, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and serve.

CHOCOLATE TAHINI SPREAD

Steps:

• Place chocolate and olive oil in top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Combine tahini, honey, and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir in melted chocolate mixture until smooth and well combined. Refrigerate spread until set and spreadable, about 15 minutes.