Everyone who knows me, knows how much I love matcha. It was only a matter of time that these Tahini Matcha Blondies with Turkish Labneh were born.

Matcha is somewhat of an acquired taste, which made me recoil when I had my very first taste of matcha, in a Dairy Queen blizzard back in 2008, on one of my family trips to Singapore. Over the years, not only have I developed a taste for matcha, but have fallen completely head-over-heels, obsessively in love with it! Whenever I get my hands on some matcha, I’m like a pug in a tulip field.

The health benefits of matcha are unparalleled, and it is basically powdered green tea in its purist and most superior form, with maximum levels of caffeine and theanine. I treat my matcha like gold, and quite enjoy the little tea ceremony I do for myself everyday, whisking a wee bit of that superfine powder, into hot water (80 degrees, not boiling!), with my prized bamboo whisk. I shed a little tear if I ever spill some matcha on the counter.

Recently, however, I had to develop a recipe for a client using Turkish labneh, and I convinced my weak heart to muster up just enough courage to cough up a whopping quarter cup of matcha to tweak my classic Double Chocolate Tahini Brownie recipe, cross it with red velvet cheesecake brownies, and engage in a little East meets Middle East twist. Lo and Behold, my Tahini Matcha Brownies with turkish Labneh swirled in were born.

Turikish Labneh is essentially strained yogurt, but it tastes exactly like cream cheese! It is rich, indulgent, creamy, luscious, and I am completely in love with it! I’m always trying to use locally produced ingredients as opposed to expensive, imported ones, and ever since I identified how the similar Turkish Labneh and Philidelphia cream cheese are in taste and in texture, I’ve started using it as a substitute. In the Middle East, it is mostly used as a savory ingredient or side dish to be had with bread; at most, it is served with honey drizzled on top. I, however, love a little bit of the sweet and salty contrast in my desserts, and decided to take my experiment a step further and pair it with matcha (one of my favorite things in the world), in the form of brownies/blondies (of of my favorite indulgences in the world.

Here is how I tweaked my Double Chocolate Tahini Brownies Recipe, and came up with this stunning recipe for Tahini Matcha Blondies with Turkish Labneh. Think chewy, fudgy, melt-in-your mouth blondies with streaks of slightly salty labneh in every bite. YUM. Do try this at home, thank me later.

Ingredients:

• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/3 cup Matcha Powder
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1 Tbs Coconut Flour
• 1/2 cup Coconut Sugar
• 1/4 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tsp Coconut Oil
• 1/4 cup Turkish Labneh

Method:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 F.
2. Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan with cooking spray
3. In a bowl, combine tahini, maple syrup, eggs, coconut sugar, vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Mix matcha powder, salt, baking powder, and coconut flour in a separate bowl, then gently fold it into the wet mixture. Do not overmix.
5. Spread the batter evenly in the grease baking pan.
6. Dollop tablespoons of the Turkish Labneh on top, and use a toothpick or chopstick to swirl it in to get a nice marbled effect.
7. Bake for 22-30 minutes. Poke a skewer or chopstick in the middle, and if it comes out fairly clean, your brownies are baked. The top will have a glossy, congealed look. Make sure not to overbake, as you want these to be soft and chewy.