Gluten-Free White Chocolate Matcha Brownies with Tahini Swirl
yields: 12 brownies
Chewy gluten-free white chocolate matcha brownies with tahini swirl. These brownies have crisp edges and chewy centers with a combination of nutty and earthy flavors with smooth white chocolate sweetness to balance it out.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 ounces white chocolate, half finely chopped and half coarsely chopped, divided (see note)
- ¼ cup (50 g) packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (80 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup smooth tahini, divided
- 56 g (½ cup) Bob's Red Mill super-fine blanched almond flour
- 37 g (⅓ cup) Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour
- 30 g (3 tablespoons) Bob's Red Mill sweet rice flour, different from "white rice flour" or "brown rice flour"
- 1½ tablespoons high-quality matcha powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon honey
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8x8 metal baking pan with parchment paper.
- Place the 2 ounces of finely chopped white chocolate in a medium bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Brown the butter. In a small saucepan, melt and brown the butter, taking care not to burn it. It should melt, then foam up, and when the foam begins to subside, it will be light brown and nutty. Pour the browned butter over the finely chopped white chocolate and let sit for 3 minutes. Stir to melt the chocolate.
- Mix in the sugars, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of tahini. Let cool for about 5 more minutes.
- Meanwhile, sift together the almond flour, tapioca flour, sweet rice flour, matcha, and salt in a medium bowl.
- When the butter has cooled for at least 10 minutes, mix in the egg until well combined. Continue beating for another minute to help get some air into the batter.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until just evenly combined, taking care not to overmix. Fold in the remaining 2 ounces of coarsely chopped white chocolate and evenly press the dough into the lined baking pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons of tahini with the honey until just combined. Take care not to overmix, as that may cause it to sieze. Spoon 9 dollops of tahini over the top of the blondies. Use a sharp knife to cut through the tahini, swirling it into the top of the brownies.
- Bake for 27-28 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden brown and the top is just set, but still soft. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before carefully using the parchment paper to lift the brownies out of the pan. Let cool completely then cut into 12 squares and serve.
Notes
White Chocolate: The chewiness and flavor of these brownies rely on the cocoa butter in real white chocolate. Be sure to check the ingredients of white chocolate to be sure it includes cocoa butter. Many "white chips," for example, are just milk solids and sugar with no cocoa butter. I recommend Green & Black's, Lindt, Ghirardelli Baking Bars, or Baker's Premium brands of white chocolate bars.
Tahini: Give you tahini a swirl before measuring it to make sure the oil is incorporated and the tahini is smooth.
Dark Brown Sugar: I recommend organic dark brown sugar because it has a higher molasses content, which will make the bars more moist and gooey in the center. Conventional dark brown sugar will also work and you could also add ½ teaspoon of molasses if you have it.
Grain-Free Version: You can substitute the sweet rice flour with additional tapioca flour by weight, but your results will be a bit less chewy. For that version, I would add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
