This recipe puts a spin on the classic chocolate peanut butter pie by subbing in tahini for a toasted nutty. Tahini is a paste of ground white sesame seeds. It is the creamy ingredient in your favorite hummus or baba ganoush. But sesame seeds are used in a variety of sweets around the world so it seems like a natural progression for tahini to start taking center stage in desserts.
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INGREDIENTS: 1 8-inch pie pan |
DIRECTIONS: Crush the cookies to a sandy texture. It should measure out to 2 cups. I always have digestive cookies on hand but use whatever cookies you like - peanut butter works well. If you are using a chocolate cookie, omit the cocoa powder. Mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter and cocoa powder. Press into the bottom and sides of the pie pan. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the marscapone, tahini, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Make sure that the tahini has not separated and that the oil and paste are blended well together before adding to the mix. I also have been using slightly less sugar in desserts over the years so while the recipe calls for 1 cup, I have been known to only add 3/4 cup. Pour 1 cup of the heavy cream into a different bowl and whip until there are stiff peaks. You will know you are close when the whisk starts leaving rippled lines in the cream. Check periodically and be careful not to over whip. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the tahini mixture and carefully mix until combined. Slowly fold the rest of the cream into the tahini mixture. You will want to be careful and not deflate the mixture. Pour the mix into the already prepared pie shell. Refrigerate for at least an hour. For the ganache topping, set up a double boiler. Bring a half filled pot of water to boil. Cover the pot with a stainless steel mixing bowl. The bowl should sit on top of the pot without touching the water. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream and let warm. Add the chocolate and whisk. As the chocolate melts and mixes into the cream, it will create a smooth and shiny ganache. Remove the ganache and let stand for a few minutes. Pour over the tahini pie. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds (or flaky salt!) and refrigerate for another four hours. Enjoy! |
*Try making you own tahini at home. Grind 1 cup of sesame seeds in a food processor until it resembles a chunky paste. Slowly thin out by adding a teaspoon at a time of an oil with a neutral flavor, preferably sesame oil. Add salt to taste. Use natural sesame seeds for a deep, nutty flavor or hulled sesame seeds for a smooth, spreadable tahini.