Simple, sublime, stylish … sassy? Okay, enough with the alliteration. These are just plain yummy. I know not everyone has a major sweet tooth like me, so this recipe is for those folks. Tahini is delicious, but it is also quite bitter. It has a strong nutty flavor (from the sesame seeds it’s made of) that goes perfectly with savory meals. However, its nutty bitterness can still work wonderfully in desserts as well. Here, it’s combined with salt and coconut oil to make a shell encompassing sweet coffee-date cream. Can you say yum!? Probably not, because your mouth will be too full of these terrifically tasty tahini cups. —EvE
SERVES 6
⅓ cup (80 g) tahini
⅓ cup (80 ml) melted coconut oil
Salt, to taste
COFFEE CREAM
1 cup (170 g) pitted dates
½ cup (118 ml) strong brewed coffee (more or less as needed)
Sea salt, for topping
FOR THE TAHINI SHELL
Combine the ingredients by hand or in a food processor until smooth. It will be a bit watery, but the coconut oil will harden up in the fridge. Pour this into the bottom of 6 cupcake papers and put them in the fridge until solid. Set aside the remaining tahini mixture.
FOR THE COFFEE CREAM
Put the dates in your food processor, and process until smooth and very thick, adding the coffee as needed. This could take a few minutes, and you may have to stop the food processor to scrape down the sides a few times so that everything continues to combine evenly.
ASSEMBLY
Scoop a dollop of the filling into each of the hardened bottoms in your cupcake papers. Pour enough of the remaining tahini mixture on each to cover the dollop. Put it back in the fridge until solid, then sprinkle with salt and enjoy!
*SEE PHOTO INSERT