3 Unique Tahini Bars with Bournville to Try This Islamic New Year

As the Islamic New Year approaches, it's the perfect time to embrace new things, in particular new dessert recipes! This year, why not add a little twist to your regular desserts and introduce a tinge of flavor and aroma from the Middle East, with a hint of cocoa and rich in dark chocolate? So, meet tahini, which has long held a cherished place in Middle Eastern kitchens, and when paired with the deep, bittersweet notes of Cadbury Bournville dark chocolate, it transforms into an irresistible dessert that’s both nostalgic and novel. So, in this article, we bring you three distinctive Tahini Bars with Bournville Chocolate recipes, each with its own flavor profile and texture, that promise to elevate your festive dessert spread.

Tahini Bars with Bournville Chocolate

Ingredients:

For the Tahini layer:

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 11 crushed graham crackers)

For the Chocolate layer:

• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• 2/3 cup Cadbury Bournville 50% dark chocolate, chopped
• Sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. You'll need an 8x8-inch baking pan for this recipe. Grease or line it with parchment paper with extra overhanging on the sides to pull it out later.
2. Take a big bowl, mix the melted butter with tahini, honey, vanilla extract, salt, sugar, and graham cracker crumbs, until all smooth.
3. Transfer the mixture to the greased/lined pan and press down into a compact layer. Set aside.
4. Heat cream in a saucepan and once steaming, pour it over a bowl of chopped chocolate. Let it sit idle for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth.
5. Pour the ganache over the tahini layer, and spread it with the back of a spoon into a smooth layer. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.
6. Keep the tray at room temperature until the chocolate has set but is not firm.
7. Once the chocolate layer has set into a firm but sliceable consistency, cut the dessert into squares and serve

Chocolate Tahini Crunch Bars

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Cadbury Bournville 50% dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup tahini
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 cup granola or muesli
• 1 cup rolled oats
• ¾ cup chopped nuts of choice
• ½ cup dry fruits of choice

Instructions:

1. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper with excess overhanging to easily lift the bars later.
2. Heat the chocolate, tahini, and salt in a large saucepan over low heat, while stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from the heat immediately once melted to prevent burning. Then add all the other ingredients while stirring.
4. Spoon the chocolate mix into the prepared tin and level the top.
5. Refrigerate the dessert until completely set. Then, carefully lift it out of the pan and chop it down with a large, sharp knife.

Fudgy Tahini Date Chocolate Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Cadbury cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 ½ tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 3 tbsp honey
• A pinch of sea salt
• 5-6 medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped

Instructions:

1. Sift cocoa powder into a small mixing bowl, add tahini, coconut oil, honey, salt, and half of the chopped dates, then stir until it forms a thick paste. If it's too thin, add more cocoa powder; if it's too thick, thin it with more honey or oil.
2. Scrape the mixture into one side of a parchment paper, and fold it over; use a rolling pin to flatten it into a 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick bar.
3. Unfold the parchment paper, sprinkle the remaining chopped dates over the rolled-out chocolate. Then, drizzle the remaining tahini over the dates. Scrape the remaining fudge mixture on top of the dates and tahini.
4. Fold the parchment paper back over the chocolate, and roll it to make a sandwich of sorts. Once the top layer of the fudge is even, lift the parchment and fold in any exposed edges. Roll once more to even out the bar and straighten the edges.
5. If you want your bars firmer, put them in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
6. Once ready to serve, cut the bars into squares or rectangles.