Peanut Butter & Tahini Brownies

These are about as rich as a brownie gets. The base is dense and fudgy rather than cakey, and then there's a whole layer of melted dark chocolate over the top with peanut butter and tahini swirled into it, so every square gets a bit of flaky salt and that nutty edge against the chocolate. They're simple to put together, they just need time to cool completely and then chill before you cut them.

Time to read: 10 minutes | Time to make: 155 minutes | Yields: 16 servings

Ingredients

Brownies

• 2 tbsp flaxseed meal

• 3 tbsp water

• 1¼ cups spelt flour

• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 tsp baking powder

• ¾ cup brown sugar

• ¼ tsp sea salt

• 1¼ cups dark chocolate baking chips

• ½ tsp instant coffee powder

• 1 cup oat milk

• ½ cup vegan butter, melted

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

• ½ cup dark chocolate baking chips

• ¼ cup smooth peanut butter

• 1 tbsp tahini

• flaky sea salt

Method

1. Heat the oven to 400F and line a 9-inch square pan with parchment.

2. Stir the flaxseed meal with the water and leave it 10 minutes until it goes jelly-like.

3. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a large bowl, then stir in the sugar and salt.

4. Melt two-thirds of the brownie chips in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, keeping the bowl off the water itself. Take it off the heat, stir in the last third along with the coffee powder, and cool 5 minutes.

5. Fold the melted chocolate, oat milk, melted butter, flax egg and vanilla into the dry ingredients. Pour into the pan, smooth the top and tap it on the counter to knock the air bubbles out.

6. Bake 25 minutes. The top should be cracked and the middle still slightly gooey. Cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour.

7. Melt two-thirds of the topping chips the same way, then stir in the rest off the heat. Spread it over the cooled slab.

8. Dollop the peanut butter and tahini on top and drag a toothpick through to swirl them. Scatter the flaky salt while the chocolate is still wet so it sticks.

9. Chill 45 minutes, then cut with a hot dry knife, wiping the blade between cuts.

Notes:

• Storage: 3 days at room temperature, a week in the fridge, a month in the freezer. If they've been chilled, leave them out 10 minutes before serving. Cold chocolate goes matte and the inside firms up more than you want it to.

Nutrition Facts per Serving:

Energy: 270 kcal | Carbs: 29 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 16 g