CRAFT by Under My Host® Issue No. 15 Classics

a small offset spatula for an even finish. Place the molds on a baking sheet and bake for 30–35 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the cakes are dark golden brown on top and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. The cakes will look slightly uncooked and damp inside, but this is the way they should be and is part of their charm. Allow the cakes to cool for 15–30 minutes before unmolding them. (They are delicious as is, slightly warm.) 5. To serve, cool before spooning a little of the mascarpone on top of each cake and top- ping with the pistachios and 1 pomegranate seed, if desired. Sprinkle a little confectioners’ sugar on one half of each cake, at a diagonal (see introduction). Equipment We make our cakes in small rectangular silicone financier molds, which look so elegant. Alternatively, use a regular muffin pan. Storage These cakes are at their best the day after they are made. They can be eaten on the day, however, and kept for up to 2 days in a sealed container (without the mascarpone top- ping). They don’t keep for much longer than this—which is surprising, given how moist they are—because the texture becomes a bit gummy. Once the cakes have been topped with the mascarpone, they can be stored in the fridge and brought back to room temperature before serving. Tahini and halva brownies Nut-free The combination of tahini, halva and chocolate is so good that some members of staff (Tara, we see you!) had to put a temporary personal ban on eating these particular brown- ies during the making of this book. It is very hard to eat just one. In order to achieve the perfect balance of cakey and gooey—that sweet spot that all brownies should hit—the cooking time is crucial. It will vary by a minute or so depending on where the pan is sitting in the oven, so keep a close eye on them. Makes 16 1 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp/250 g unsalted butter, cut into 3/4-inch/2-cm cubes, plus extra for greasing 9 oz/260 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into 1 1/2-inch/4-cm pieces 4 large eggs 1 1/3 cups/280 g granulated sugar 3/4 cup plus 3 tbsp/120 g all-purpose flour 1/3 cup/30 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder ½ tsp salt 7 oz/200 g halva, broken into 3/4-inch/2-cm pieces 1/3 cup/70 g tahini paste

CRAFT by Under My Host® Issue No. 15 Classics | Page 136