Chocolate and halva is a perfect flavor combination. And there is nothing better than homemade, fudge brownies swirled with tahini and lots of crumbled halva on top.
While I chose to sprinkle the halva pieces on top of the brownies, you could also mix them into the brownie batter itself, or split the batter into two, and do a layer of brownie filled with the tahini-cream cheese filling. The possibilities are endless.
Want to make this “semi-homemade” or pareve? Use some tried-and-true store-bought brownie mix and mix as directed. Add 1/4 cup chocolate chips to batter, and sprinkle 1/2 cup crumbled halva on top for another variation.
This recipe was made with Soom Foods tahini.
Ingredients
For the halva-cream cheese layer:
- 5 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp butter, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp flour
- ½ cup tahini
For the brownie layer:
- ¾ cups flour
- 1/3 cup Hersheys Special Dark Cocoa
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup butter, softened (1/2 stick)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
For the top:
- ¼ cup – ½ cup crumbled halva pieces
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line an 8 x 8 baking pan with cooking spray.
- To make the brownie layer:Sift flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt and baking powder into a medium sized bowl. In a small bowl cream the sugar and butter together until smooth, add eggs one at a time, beat well then add vanilla. Fold egg, sugar, butter and vanilla mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread 3/4 of the brownie batter into the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish.
- To make the cream cheese-tahini layer: Cream together butter, sugar and flour. Add cream cheese and mix/blend until smooth.
- Scrape bowl and add the egg and beat until light and creamy. Scrape down bowl again and add the tahini. Beat one minute or until the tahini is mixed into the cream cheese mixture completely.
- To assemble: Randomly dollop the tahini-cream cheese topping over the brownie batter. Dollop the remaining brownie batter on top.
- Sprinkle halva pieces on top. Swirl the topping together into batter using a butter knife.
- Bake at 350 for around 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool and cut brownies into squares.
