white chocolate sesame halvah blondies;
I know these white chocolate halvah blondies are good, because my husband gave me the big round eyes when he bit into them. You know that look that says “wow” without any words ‘cuz your mouth is full? Yeah that one.
When I saw these halvah blondies in Claire Saffitz’s cookbook Dessert Person, I had no idea what halvah was. But my husband loves blondies and had flagged the recipe as one he wanted me to try, so I figured—why not? But of course, I add extra white chocolate to make these white chocolate halvah blondies. Because, well, I’m me. And this is Best With Chocolate.
The white chocolate blondie part of this recipe is probably mostly self-explanatory. Blondies are a rich, dense, and satisfyingly chewy white-chocolate brownie. Instead of your traditional chocolate brownies, blondies are lighter in color. But a good blondie should have the same chewy and dense kind of texture you can expect in, say my recipe for crinkle-top brownies.
You can absolutely use white chocolate chips to top your white chocolate halvah blondies, but I strongly recommend using chopped white chocolate for the blondies themselves. But if all you have is white chocolate chips, then by all means use them! Any blondies are better than no blondies.
Use good quality white chocolate for extra chewy, soft, delicious blondies.
secret to success
Use good quality white chocolate, as opposed to chocolate chips. I’ve tried white chocolate chips and they will definitely work. But white chocolate bars, baker’s chocolate, or couverture chocolate will generally have more fat and lack the additives that chocolate chips have to keep their shape.
But the halvah adds a fun new twist to these blondies, introducing notes of sesame. The sesame flavor comes mostly by way of tahini, which is a “sesame nut butter”. (I only put it in quotes because sesame’s not a nut. But it gets the point across.)
Halvah itself is a middle eastern candy. I find it hard to describe, but the closest thing I can come up with is a soft and crumbly fudge. If you’ve ever played with kinetic sand, I actually think the texture is similar—in that it sticks together as a brick when compressed but cutting into it has it crumble and spread a bit, unlike a dense piece of fudge. Of course, it’s less grainy than kinetic sand and much softer. And probably tastes much better. (I haven’t exactly tried to eat kinetic sand…but I can imagine.)
Feel free to use any flavor of halvah you like! Make your own classic tahini vanilla halvah, or grab a cardamom pistachio flavor from the store.
secret to success
Feel free to use any flavor of halvah you like! The tahini blondie recipe is a pretty good canvas. You can purchase already made halvah. Or if you’re struggling to find it, or want to make your own, I included the recipe I used here as well.
When I sat down to make this recipe, I had no idea what halvah was or where I would find it. You may be able to find it in ethnic groceries or places that have a larger selection of middle eastern products. I’m sure if I tried hard enough I could find it near me. But since I needed half the same ingredients for the white chocolate halvah blondies themselves as for making the halvah from scratch, I decided to try making it myself.
If you want to make it yourself, you’ll need a candy thermometer. Or if you just want to save yourself the hassle of extra steps and time, then by all means purchase the halvah. You can use any flavor, although I went for just a plain, traditional flavor to let the sesame shine through.
If you choose to make your own halvah, the recipe below will make enough for roughly 2-3 batches of blondies. I definitely made a second batch when the first one disappeared!
secret to success
If you choose to make your own halvah (recipe below) it will make enough for roughly 2-3 batches of blondies. It’s a candy in its own right though, so you can always snack on it directly if you don’t want to make multiple batches of these white chocolate halvah blondies. But I definitely made another batch when the first one disappeared!
secrets to success;
Want all the best tips and tricks to make this recipe a success? Check out the blog post above to find out more!
more recipes;
Looking for other chocolate recipes? Check out these fan favorites!
- Crinkle top brownies are the classic go-to brownie recipe from scratch! Decadent and chocolatey.
- For a light and airy bar, try these three-ingredient lemon cake bars. Tart and sweet and can you get better prep than only three ingredients?!
- I love these key lime pie bars for a perfect key lime pie, in bite-sized squares!
white chocolate halvah blondies;
Equipment
- candy thermometer
Ingredients
vanilla halvah;
- 3 Tbsp water
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean extract (or vanilla extract)
- ¾ cup tahini
- ⅜ tsp salt
white chocolate halvah blondies;
- 1¼ cup flour (all-purpose, or gluten free all-purpose)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 6 oz white chocolate chopped (170g, note: use white chocolate from a bar, baker's chocolate, or melting wafers. Chocolate chips may not melt appropriately.)
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- ¼ cup tahini
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
- white chocolate chips
- ½ cup halvah crumbled
Instructions
vanilla halvah;
- Optionally, you can skip making your own halvah and purchase some at the store! Any flavor will work, though I'm partial to vanilla since it complements the blondies.
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Add tahini and salt into a large bowl and set the bowl on a kitchen towel to keep it from spinning or moving when stirring later.
- Add the ¾ cup tahini and ⅜ tsp salt to the bowl and stir briefly to combine. Optional, add another 1 tsp of vanilla bean extract for extra vanilla flavor.
- In a medium pot over medium heat, add 3 Tbsp water, ¾ cup white sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla bean extract. Stir a few times with a spatula, then remove. Using a candy thermometer, cook the sugar mixture until it reaches 245°F without stirring. You can use a wet pastry brush to brush down the sides with water if you see crystals forming at the edge of the mixture.
- Immediately upon reaching 245°F remove from the heat. While stirring the tahini with one hand, pour the sugar mixture in slowly with the other hand while continuing to stir. Stop as soon as the mixture seems to thicken.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate until chilled (roughly 30 mins – 3 hours)
white chocolate halvah blondies;
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1¼ cups flour, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp baking powder and set aside.
- Use a double boiler, or if you don't have a double boiler, you can use a metal bowl and a pot. Add about an inch of water to your pot, and find a metal bowl that will sit on rim of the pan without touching the water (you want the steam to heat the bowl).
- Add 6oz white chocolate (note: you want melting chocolate here, not chocolate chips), 1 stick butter, ¼ cup tahini to the bowl. Heat over low heat, stirring until the ingredients melt together and mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and allow to cool for roughly a minute.
- Whisk ½ cup brown sugar into chocolate mixture. It will be grainy and some of the fat may separate a little, but continue to stir until the mixture comes together. Add the egg, 2 egg yolks, and 1 Tbsp vanilla bean extract, mixing until thick, smooth, and glossy.
- Add in the flour mixture of dry ingredients and stir until evenly incorporated and thick and glossy. Crumble ½ cup (4oz) of the halvah and gently fold it in, to avoid breaking it up too much. You want a few bigger chunks or crumbles.
- Pour into a parchment-paper lined 8"x8" pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with white sesame seeds and white chocolate chips as desired.
- Bake 20-25 minutes as 350°F or until the edges are golden brown. The center should still ever so slightly jiggle. Allow to cool in the pan before removing and slicing.
2 Comments
cookies and cream pie; | Best With Chocolate
August 3, 2023 at 1:53 pm
[…] White chocolate halvah blondies are a trip off the beaten path, but they’re so exotic and a new way to experience white chocolate. […]
cosmic blondies; | Best With Chocolate
September 8, 2023 at 8:27 am
[…] a fun twist on a salty and sweet blondie, try this halvah blondie recipe. Made with a nutty sesame candy, this recipe from Claire Saffitz’s Dessert Person is to die […]