7 easy recipes to ensure your happiness!

tahini lemon cookies

Light and delightful tahini lemon cookies! The most delicious, crumbly, melt in your mouth, tangy, sweet cookies made with 6 ingredients only. This recipe takes a total of 25 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients:

• 120g caster sugar
• 120g butter (or Stork Margarine to make it vegan)
• 120g tahini
• 240g plain flour
• zest of 2 unwaxed lemons (add juice of 1 lemon if you want the biscuits extra citrusy) 
• 1tsp pf baking powder

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°c/fan 160°c/gas mark 4 and line a large baking tray with a sheet of baking parchment.
2. Cream the butter, sugar and tahini together until pale and fluffy, then mix in the lemon zest. Fold the flour and the baking powder in the wet ingredients, stirring gently with a wooden spoon to combine.
3. Roll out about 20 balls from the mixture and space them apart on the baking tray. Push with the heel of your hand each ball down about 1cm thick. At this stage you can use a fork to create a pattern on the top of the biscuits or roll the sides of the mixture discs into a bowl with black and white sesame seeds.
4. Bake for 14-16 minutes until the edges are golden brown. The biscuits will be very soft when first baked but leave them on the tray and they will become firmer as they cool. Once cold, transfer them to a wire rack.

Dig in and enjoy!

tahini banana bread

This is not just ANY banana bread it’s our Best Ever Tahini Banana Bread.
Soft, moist and perfectly delicious our version is made with wholegrain tahini, soft brown sugar, topped with banana chips for that extra crunch.

Ingredients:

• 150g self raising flour
• 140g unsalted butter
• 120g soft brown sugar
• 2 large free range eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 80g wholegrain tahini (or plain)
• 2 very riped bananas, mashed
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method:

1. Heat oven to 180C/ 160C Fan/ Gas 4
2. Butter a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and line base and sides with baking parchment.
3. Beat 140g softened butter and 120g soft brown sugar until light and fluffy, then slowly add 2 beaten large eggs with a little of the 150g flour. 
4. Fold in the remaining flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 mashed bananas and tahini. Do not overmix at this stage as will make the bread chewy and tough.
5. Place banana chips in a clean plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Pour cake batter into the tin and decorate with banana chip crumbs. Tap cake on the counter several times and bake for about 50 mins until a skewer comes out clean.
6) Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before carefully inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

This cake will keep up to 3 days if kept in a sealed container.

ultimate vegan tahini tiffin log

This is a very easy ‘no-bake’ treat that anyone can make. Dark chocolate and tahini are a match made in foodie heaven, so be warned; it won’t last long!

Our chocolate tahini tiffin log is filled with crumbled digestive biscuits, luscious black cherry jam and juicy raisins, generously topped with cocoa powder – pure indulgence!

Ingredients:

• 400g of dark chocolate
• 300g plain tahini
• 200g digestive biscuits
• 200g black cherry jam
• A handful of raisins
• Cocoa powder for dusting

Method:

Break chocolate and place into a heatproof bowl.
Sit over a pan of barely simmering water (a bain marie) and allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally.
Once melted, add tahini into the bowl of chocolate.
Stir through the black cherry jam, biscuits (crushed) and raisins. Once fully combined, place mixture in the centre of a sheet of greaseproof paper

Roll the greaseproof paper around the mixture to form a ballotine making sure it is quite tight especially on the edges. At this stage, you can use your hands to give the tiffin a nice ‘log’ shape. Put the tiffin in the fridge for 2 hours to set (or overnight)!

Once it is set, transfer the tiffin log onto a serving place and dust evenly with cocoa powder. Run a kitchen knife under the hot tap then cut into slices and serve. You can adjust the recipe to your liking by substituting raisins with dried apricots or cranberries, adding a shot of your favourite liquor into the mix and so on.

tahini & coconut energy balls

The creamy and nutty flavour from tahini is perfectly balanced with sweet coconut and ground cinnamon. This recipe is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free & has No Added Sugar!

These sweet, no bake treats take minutes to throw together, are filled with good-for-you ingredients, and make for quick, portable breakfasts and snacks. 

Ingredients:

• 12 pitted dates
• 80g desiccated coconut
• 60g of tahini
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 40g sesame seeds 
• extra desiccated coconut and sesame seeds for coating (optional)

Method:

1) Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until they have formed a paste.
2) Roll into bite-size balls in your hands.
3) Cover the balls with coconut or sesame seeds
You can always modify the recipe by adding protein powder, using vanilla extract or even by dipping the balls in cocoa tahini!
Let us know how you get on and do not forget to post your pictures on Instagram and tag @grecious_ltd.

tahini billionaire shortbread

Recipe by Sarah Jampel 

Crunchy shortbread base with gooey tahini caramel middle and crisp dark chocolate topping finished with a sprinkling of toast sesame seeds- the ultimate sweet treat.
The twist on this classic recipe is the use of tahini and sesame seeds which transforms the excessively sweet millionaire’s shortbread into something so much better, with a slight nuttiness from the tahini.

Ingredients:

• Nonstick cooking oil spray or vegetable oil (for pan)
• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup (83 g) powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup toasted sesame seeds, plus more for serving
• 2¾ tsp. sea salt, divided
• 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1¼ cups (packed; 250 g) light brown sugar
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup tahini
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (65%–75% cacao)

Method: 

1) Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Lightly coat a 9×9” or 8×8” baking pan, preferably metal, with nonstick cooking oil spray or vegetable oil. Line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on all sides. (If you have a precut sheet of parchment, simply slice it in half crosswise, then overlap the two halves to line the pan.)

2) Whisk 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour,¾ cup (83 g) powdered sugar,⅓ cup toasted sesame seeds, and ½ sea salt in a medium bowl. Cut ½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter into ½” pieces and add to dry ingredients; toss to coat. Using your fingers, work in butter until pieces are about pea-size. 

3) Separate 2 large eggs—the easiest way to do this is to crack open eggs one at a time and gently pour into a (clean) hand, letting whites fall through your fingers either into the sink or a small bowl while trapping the yolk. Add yolks to bowl with flour mixture and mix in with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Dough should hold together when squeezed in your hand.

4) Scrape dough into prepared pan and gently press into an even layer (lightly flour your hands if needed). Prick dough with a fork in several spots (this will help it stay flat as it bakes). Lightly flour the fork if it’s sticking to the dough.

5) Bake shortbread until golden brown, 24–28 minutes (or up to 35 minutes if using a glass dish). Let cool slightly.

6) While the shortbread is cooling, make the tahini butterscotch. Cut remaining ½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter into 8 pieces. Heat butter and 1¼ cups (packed; 250 g) light brown sugar, whisking constantly, in a medium heavy saucepan over medium until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Whisk in ¾ cup heavy cream and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking constantly, until bubbling becomes less frequent and butterscotch is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 5 minutes. (When in doubt, err on the side of giving the mixture another 30 seconds—it’s better if it’s a little too firm than too runny.)

7) Remove from heat, add ½ cup tahini and 1 tsp. vanilla extract and whisk until incorporated and smooth. Pour butterscotch over shortbread and tilt pan to distribute evenly if necessary. Chill until set, 30–40 minutes.

8) Coarsely chop 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (65%–75% cacao) and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in a microwave in 40-second increments, stirring between bursts. (Alternatively, place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water a.k.a. a double boiler; do not let bowl touch water. Heat, stirring often, until melted and smooth.) Pour over butterscotch and spread evenly to edges of pan with a small offset spatula or rubber spatula; sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Chill until chocolate is firm, 1–2 hours.

9) Using parchment paper overhang, pull bars out of pan and set on a cutting board; remove parchment. Using a serrated knife (a chef’s knife will smoosh these), slice into 25–36 pieces (5–6 cuts in each direction) with a sawing motion. If you’re having trouble slicing, feel free to freeze the bars for 20–30 minutes, which will harden the caramel and ease the process.

10) Do ahead: Bars can be made 4 days ahead. Store airtight at in the fridge.

tahini, pear & dark chocolate cake

Velvety rich tahini and chocolate loaf cake with poached pears and NO ADDED SUGAR, topped with a silky melt-in-your-mouth chocolate tahini sauce.
Whip one up today to enjoy with your favourite blend of coffee or tea! This recipe is very easy to make and can be adapted so that is Vegan friendly.

Ingredients:

Cake Batter

• 3 pears (washed and peeled)
• the juice from one lemon
• 2 medium free-range eggs (or 3 tbsp of aquafaba)
• 180g single cream (or soya cream)
• 150g dark chocolate 
• 100g Grecious tahini
• 70g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
  

Chocolate Tahini Sauce

• 70g single cream (or soya cream)
• 40g dark chocolate
• 40g Grecious tahini with cocoa
  
  

Method:

1) Add lemon juice in a large pot of boiling water and then immerse the peeled pears for 20 minutes. The lemon juice will prevent pears from browning. 

2) To make the batter: Heat the cream in a small saucepan. Once hot, add dark chocolate (chopped into pieces) and stir with a spatula continuously until fully melted. Leave aside.

3) In a large bowl, mix eggs (or aquafaba) with tahini. Add the chocolate ganache and mix well.

4) Add the sieved flour, baking powder and salt into the tahini and chocolate mixture and mix until fully combined.

5) Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Line a loaf cake tin with baking parchment. Add three tablespoons of the cake batter onto the bottom of the tin and then place the pears on top of the batter base. Pears should have been drained once cooked.

6) Pour the remaining batter between and around the pears. Tap the cake tin on the work surface to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 25 minutes.

7) In the meantime, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan, heat cream and once hot add chopped chocolate and mix until fully combined. Add tahini with cocoa and stir until you have a smooth and silky chocolate sauce. Remove from heat and set aside.

8) Once cake has been cooked, remove cake from oven and let it cool for 30 minutes before demoulding. Add the chocolate tahini sauce on top until cake is fully covered.

Keep refrigerated in a sealed container for 4 days. 
If you make this recipe, do not forget to post pictures on Instagram and tag @grecious_ltd!

tahini chocolate cookies

These moreish tahini chocolate cookies are dead easy to make and they are a real treat with a cup of coffee. Just don’t expect them to hang around! Soft and gooey made with our organic wholegrain tahini for extra nutty flavour and chunks of rich, indulgent dark chocolate. The tahini gives them a subtle savoury taste that pairs remarkably well with dark chocolate and a touch of salt. 

These cookies will be the best cookies that have ever come out of your oven, and we don’t say that lightly! 

Ingredients:

• 125g wholemeal rye flour
• 100g wholemeal plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 100g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 75g tahini (wholegrain or plain)
• 200g light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g chocolate (65-75% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
• Sesame seeds, to coat.

Method:

To make the cookie dough place the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and mix together to combine, set aside.

Place the butter, tahini and sugar into a large bowl and using an electric mixer beat together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg, yolk and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined, then add the chocolate and mix until evenly distributed. Scoop the dough into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for about 4 hours until firm. I often make these in the evening and bake off the dough the next day.

Scoop the cookie dough into pieces about 60g in size. Roll into balls and then coat in sesame seeds, you’re not looking to completely cover the cookie just a nice even coating over all the cookie.

Place onto parchment lined baking trays, a couple inches apart, and then bake in an oven preheated to 190C (170C fan) for about 10-11 minutes. This temperature is a little higher than normal to help set the cookies earlier so they don’t spread as much. After they’ve been in the oven for about 7 minutes remove the trays from the oven and give them a firm tap on the surface before placing back in the oven for the remaining time until browned around the edges. Allow the cookie to cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

These cookies will keep in a sealed container for about 3-4 days.

If you try this recipe, don’t forget to post pictures on Instagram and tag @grecious_ltd 

Enjoy!