This superb brownie is from the March/April issue of Milk Street Magazine, which I chose to subscribe to not only for its wisdom on the science behind each recipe, but also for its blessed lack of advertising. Along with the NYT Cooking Site and Leite’s Culinaria, these are the primary published sources I rely on to enlarge my kitchen repertoire, and I highly recommend all three.

I have a love affair with almost anything containing sesame – sesame semolina bread and bagels, sesame shrimp, sesame candy, halvah; and that extends to tahini, a versatile pantry item for both savory and sweet outcomes.

After my happy experience with the NYT’s Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies last year, I stocked up on Reese’s Tahini in one-pound jars, and have been happily incorporating that into Middle Eastern sauces and baked goods whenever the mood strikes.

When this current issue of Milk Street arrived I wasted no time pulling out my staples to make these halvah-like brownies, which turned out beautifully marbled, moist, chewy, and with just the right balance of chocolate-to-sesame flavor.

For chocolate, I almost always turn to Trader Joe’s Pound Plus bar of 72% dark chocolate – perfect for any recipe calling for chocolate, and a satisfying little treat when you break off just one square to enjoy with coffee.

These come together easily in just 40 minutes. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool, because all brownies should be cooled completely before cutting. I used an 8″ square Emile Henry baking dish lined with foil, as directed, and held the family back from enjoyment for at least three hours before we all partook. They were gone quickly.