Open Sesame! (Berkshire Eagle Column)
Tahini adds great flavor to so many recipes, and lately I’ve been adding it to quick breads. I often have some shredded zucchini in the freezer, and so began a series of baking efforts (from fresh zucchini, from frozen, with regular flour, with gluten-free flour) that made everyone quite happy!
This recipe was in the Berkshire Eagle this past Wednesday, and I’ve already heard from a few people who have made it! One friend even used a Turkish tahini-molasses blend because that’s what she had in the house, and now I have to explore that product!
(I like to measured out and freeze 1- or 2-cup portions of shredded zucchini. If you do this, adapt the recipe below by thawing and squeezing out the liquid. You will end up with less zucchini after draining than from fresh, but it will be fine.)
EENIE-MEENIE ZUCCHINI TAHINI
by Elizabeth Baer
As the weather turns colder, it’s always nice to settle down in the afternoon with a good book (usually a cookbook for me) and a hot cup of tea and a bite of something sweet. I once got a jar of chocolate tahini in the mail and came up with a quick bread that was quite wonderful, but I also know that chocolate tahini is not something one sees in the stores very often. But the inspiration was there, and I decided I would work on a variation or two with regular tahini!
Taking a cue from the myriad quick breads that incorporate vegetables or fruit, I began making my version with zucchini. Whenever I use shredded summer squash, I like to reduce the moisture in it as much as possible, so I have a few tricks for doing so. If the squash is large, I like to grate the sides on a box grater and toss the cores that hold much of the moisture. When this happens with a yellow squash, I grate the seedless neck first. Regardless, if I am working from grated fresh summer squash for any number of recipes, I’ll salt it and let it sit in a colander for a while before squeezing the liquid out.
This is also a flexible recipe as it works equally well with an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend. Sometimes, depending on the brand of gluten-free flour, the bread may be a bit more crumbly, but it’s just as delicious!
As I work through the colder months, I’m looking forward to trying this with other produce, such as mashed bananas, pumpkin purée, or grated carrot. If you try something else in place of the zucchini, let me know!
ZUCCHINI TAHINI BREAD
Makes 1 standard loaf
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound zucchini (or more if large so you can discard seeds)
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
½ cup sugar
⅓ cup dark brown sugar
1¼ cup all-purpose flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
⅓ cup tahini, room temperature (or chocolate tahini for an extra chocolatey treat!)
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ teaspoon sesame seeds (optional, but nice garnish considering the tahini)
DIRECTIONS:
Grate zucchini on the large holes of a box grater or with the large-holed shredding disc in a food processor. If zucchini is large, I recommend grating the sides and discarding the seed-filled core as it holds so much liquid. You should have about 2 cups of shredded zucchini. Place zucchini in a colander and toss with ½ teaspoon salt. Let sit for at least a couple of hours (it doesn’t need to be precise) for the salt to draw out the moisture.
When the zucchini has been sitting for a while, line a loaf pan with parchment paper hanging over the two long sides, and spray lightly with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Combine the two sugars in a small bowl. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in another bowl and stir to combine.
Take handfuls of the shredded zucchini and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. You should end up with a generous cup. (It doesn’t need to be exact.)
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a medium mixing bowl with a whisk, combine the oil, tahini, and zucchini. Mix in the eggs, then the sugars, then the vanilla, whisking to combine well after each addition.
Switch to rubber spatula. Add the flour mixture and combine until fully moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips and scrape into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Bake for 70-75 minutes until cake tester comes out clean and the bread springs back when lightly touched. Cool on a rack before removing from the pan.