Fudgy Greek Halva Brownies

Fudgy Greek Halva Brownies

Rich, chocolatey and just a little bit different, these fudgy brownies get their Greek twist from chunks of Macedonian halva folded through the batter and scattered across the top.

Halva brings a soft, crumbly texture and the unmistakable flavour of sesame to the brownies, while flavoured varieties such as cocoa, almond or pistachio give you plenty of room to make the recipe your own.

Serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, add a spoonful of Greek yoghurt on the side, or simply cut into squares and enjoy with coffee.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25–30 minutes
Makes: 12–16 brownies

Ingredients

• 180g unsalted butter

• 200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

• 220g light brown sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 100g plain flour

• 30g cocoa powder

• ½ tsp sea salt

• 180g Greek Macedonian halva, roughly crumbled

• 50g dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate

Method

1. Prepare the tin

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4.

Line a 20cm square baking tin with baking parchment, leaving a little overhang so you can lift the brownies out easily once cooled.

2. Melt the chocolate and butter

Place the butter and dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth, then remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes.

You can also melt them together in the microwave in short bursts, stirring between each one.

3. Whisk the eggs and sugar

In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs, light brown sugar and vanilla together until combined and slightly thickened.

Slowly pour in the melted chocolate mixture, stirring until smooth.

4. Add the dry ingredients

Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, then add the salt.

Fold everything together gently until you can no longer see any dry flour. Try not to overmix the batter.

5. Add the halva

Fold around 120g of the crumbled halva through the brownie mixture along with the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and spread it evenly.

Scatter the remaining halva across the top, pressing some pieces lightly into the batter while leaving others visible.

6. Bake

Bake for 25–30 minutes.

The top should look set and slightly cracked, while the centre should still have a little softness. A skewer inserted into the middle shouldn't come out completely clean. A few sticky chocolate crumbs are exactly what you're looking for.

Leave the brownies to cool completely in the tin before lifting them out and slicing.

Which Greek Halva Should You Use?

This is where you can have a little fun with the recipe.

Classic vanilla Macedonian halva gives the brownies a rich sesame flavour without competing too much with the chocolate, but you can easily change the result depending on the halva you choose.

Cocoa halva makes them even more chocolatey, while pistachio or almond halva adds extra nuttiness and texture.

You could even divide the batter and use two different varieties if you happen to have more than one open.

Explore the Greek Macedonian Halva collection and choose your favourite.

A Few Tips for the Best Halva Brownies

Don't crumble the halva too finely. You want some larger pieces to remain intact so you get little pockets of halva running through each brownie.

Keep an eye on the baking time too. Brownies continue to firm up as they cool, so taking them out while the centre is still slightly soft will give you that dense, fudgy texture rather than something closer to chocolate cake.

And although waiting for them to cool makes them much easier to slice, nobody is going to complain if one disappears from the tray while it's still warm.

Serving suggestion

Try them slightly warmed with vanilla ice cream, Greek yoghurt and a drizzle of honey for an easy dessert.

Or keep things simple: brownie, coffee, done.