For the longest time, I believed that if you wanted something badly enough, you should be willing to fight for it. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the things in life that can’t be hurried, no matter how badly we want them to happen. Some things simply need time, because we’re still becoming the people who are ready for them. Our need for certainty can make us want to know when the good things we hope for will arrive, how long we’ll have to wait, and whether we’re making the right choices along the way. But, there isn’t one universal timeline for becoming, healing, or loving. 

Baking can actually teach us a good life lesson in regards to timing. A timer is a guide, not a guarantee, and blondies are particularly easy to overbake if we rely on the clock alone. Instead, we learn to look for subtle signs of doneness. Edges that are golden, a center that’s slightly puffed, and understanding that they’ll continue to firm up as they cool. We learn to pay attention, make adjustments, and trust what we’re seeing rather than what the timer tells us. We learn to recognize when the time is right.

Maybe that’s what I’m learning in life as well: not everything worth having arrives on a specific timeline and not everything good can be hurried into being. Sometimes all we can do is give things the time it needs and trust ourselves to know when the moment is right. And in the meantime, we keep baking.

Tahini & Dark Chocolate Blondies

Makes 16 small or 9 large blondies

1 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
3/4  teaspoon  baking powder
1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks)  unsalted butter
1 cup  packed light brown sugar
2  large eggs
1/4 cup  tahini
1 1/2 tsp  vanilla extract
1 cup (6 oz)  dark chocolate chips
1 Tbsp  sesame seeds
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment or aluminum foil and lightly coat with a non-stick cooking oil spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, add the sugar and eggs. On medium-high speed, whisk together the sugar and eggs until light, about 5-6 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the melted butter, vanilla extract, and tahini; then, whisk until well combined. On low, add the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in 2/3 of the chocolate, then pour into the prepared baking pan. Evenly smooth the top with the spatula. Top with remaining 1/3 of the chocolate, evenly sprinkling across the top of the batter. Evenly sprinkle the top with sesame seeds and a generous pinch of flaky sea salt.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is puffed and light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (careful not to overbake). Remove blondies from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely. Cut blondies into 2-inch squares for 16 blondies or into thirds for 9 larger blondies. Store in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 5 days. Tip: For a slightly warm blondie after the first day, reheat in the microwave for 10 seconds and enjoy.