Cultures across the Middle East have been using tahini in desserts for generations (think, halvah!) before US pastry chefs started to swirl it into brownies. Crafted from sesame seeds that are toasted and pressed into a creamy paste with a delicious nutty flavor, tahini perfectly pairs with various flavors, including chocolate!
When I first started working on creating our tahini fudge formula, the decision to substitute dairy cream with tahini paste in the traditional fudge recipe wasn't driven by innovation but by instinct and common sense. This twist on the conventional delight preserves the same velvety texture and rich flavors without dairy or white sugar.
I encourage you to make this homemade, refrigerated version of Sweettahini's famed tahini fudge. It's an easy and forgiving process: if you don't have unsweetened chocolate, use any other chocolate instead and reduce or eliminate the amount of honey. If you want a firmer fudge that you can travel with, add 60-80 grams of cocoa butter to the chocolate mixture.
Tahini Chocolate Fudge (refrigerated version)
Serves 32
Ingredients
200 gr unsweetened chocolate
1 cup (240 gr) tahini
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup (85 gr) honey/other sweetener
pinch of salt
1/2 cup sesame or nuts, optional.
Preparation
Line a loaf pan (or any similar in size container) with parchment paper.
If using nuts or seeds, dry roast them in a skillet untill they start to brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Melt the chocolate in a saucepan on low heat or in the microwave.
Add in the salt and vanilla extract, and mix untill dissolved.
Stir the tahini and mix thoroughly.
Add the honey or any other sweetener, and mix untill a smooth and even batter forms.
Spread the mixture into the lined container and place it in the freezer for at least half an hour until hard and set.
Remove from the freezer and let sit out for a few minutes until it lightly softens, then slice into squares.
To retain the fudge shape, store it in the fridge or freezer.