Mini Chocolate Tahini Pies
(AKA Unwinding Pie)

My grandmother had 7 children. 7 kids in the span of 12 years. I have one and can’t figure out how to leave the house some days. We like to ask my mom how our grandmother coped and according to her, after all the kids were asleep she would eat a mini Table Talk Pie. I like to picture her sitting at her kitchen table, putting her feet up on the chair next to her, taking a deep breath, and going in with the fork. No grubby little hands intervening, no sharing bites off the same fork, just her and her pie.

I’m a cliche. I like to unwind at the end of the day with a glass of wine, but I don’t like to do it every day. The ritual doesn’t feel as luxurious when it’s an everyday activity. I do like to have a treat at the end of every day. Sometimes it’s a glass of wine, kombucha, bad TV, or zoning out on Instagram and wondering how I got to an oddly specific page on skin. No, just me? Nevermind then… Other days it’s a pot of chocolate.

Enter these little pies.

I really like tahini. I put it on stirfry, sweet potatoes, roasted veggies, tofu. Why not put it on chocolate?? These pies are on the simpler side – even my sister could bake these. And I bet you have most of the ingredients on hand. If tahini is not your thing, try swapping in almond butter (another heavy hitter in this house) or peanut butter.

Mini Vegan Chocolate Tahini Pies
Serves 4

Crust
⅓ cup of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon of kosher salt
¼ cup of Earth Balance, melted

Filling
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate
⅓ cup of tahini
Pinch of kosher salt
½ cup of canned coconut milk
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes (garnish)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°
2. In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar, and kosher salt. Slowly add the melted Earth Balance while mixing until the dough becomes crumbly. Pack evenly into 4 3-inch oven safe ramekins. Bake for 15 minutes and set aside to cool.
3. Combine the semi-sweet chocolate, tahini, and kosher salt in a medium mixing bowl.
4. In a small saucepan, combine the coconut milk and maple syrup on medium-low heat. Do not boil. Pour on top of the chocolate and tahini mixture, stirring with a silicone spatula until the chocolate is fully incorporated and melted. Pour onto cooled chocolate crusts. Sprinkle on the Maldon. Cool before serving.

Question:

What do you do to unwind at the end of the day?