Black Sesame and Cocoa Brownie

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 175°C (350°F). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides.

In a heavy stone mortar (Suribachi), toast 30g sesame seeds over medium-low heat in a dry pan for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and darkened. Transfer to mortar and grind to a rough paste — about 20 strokes. You want texture, not smooth.

Melt butter and 80g chopped dark chocolate together in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until glossy and combined. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.

Whisk white sugar into the warm chocolate-butter mixture until fully incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition until the batter is thick and glossy.

Fold in vanilla extract, then fold in the ground sesame paste until streaks are visible throughout.

Sift all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and salt directly into the batter. Use a bench scraper to fold from the bottom — 15-18 strokes maximum. Stop while a few flour streaks remain; overmixing develops gluten and ruins the texture.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with an offset spatula. Scatter reserved 15g sesame seeds in a single layer across the top.

Bake 22-25 minutes at 175°C. The edges should be set and pulling away from the pan; the center will still jiggle slightly. A toothpick inserted 2 inches from the edge should come out with wet batter attached.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for exactly 10 minutes. Lift using parchment overhang, then transfer directly to the rack. Finish immediately with a pinch of coarse salt.

Let cool on the rack until the edges firm and the center sets (20 minutes). Slice with a chef's knife wiped hot between cuts for clean edges. Serve at room temperature for maximum density and chew.