Sesame Halvah
Yield: 8-12 bars

In the Middle-East, halvah is really just another word for candy. But in the west, we expect halvah to be a dense candy-cake made from ground sesame seeds. In many traditional recipes, halvah is made with honey. This recipe calls for unrefined sugar to replace the honey, since from a nutritional perpective, honey should be consumed only in its raw form. You will need a spice or coffee grinder to grind the small seeds.

1/3 cup plain sesame oil, or other vegetable oil
1 cup ground sesame seeds (see note)
1 1/4 cup unbleached flour
1/3 cup tahini (sesame butter)
1 cup unrefined sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped pistachios or pecans (optional)

Line a 9-inch square pan with a sheet of aluminum foil or baking parchment paper.

Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the ground sesame seeds and flour. Stir until combined, using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to incorporate the oil and break up the thick crumbs. Toast about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to brown — it goes quick at the end, so watch carefully and stir constantly so it does not burn.

Turn off the heat and add the tahini, stirring and mashing with the back of the spoon until incorporated.

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium-high heat for about 1 minute, until it reaches 234-242 degrees on a candy thermometer (optional). Add the syrup to the flour mixture, and stir until completely incorporated. Quickly fold in the optional pistachios.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and pack it down with the back of a spatula. Let the candy cool at room temperature for several hours before cutting into blocks.

The halvah can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Note: Because sesame seeds are so small, they need to be ground in a coffee of spice grinder. Grind 1/4 cup at a time.

©2006 Copyright Alison Anton - All rights reserved.