Halvah Middle Eastern Honey Sesame Candy Food

TAHINI HALVAH

Steps:

• Enjoy.

HALVAH (MIDDLE EASTERN HONEY-SESAME CANDY)

Steps:

• Warm oil in a large heavy skillet over low heat.
• Add flour.
• Stir until thoroughly combined.
• Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to turn pale brown.
• Add tahini.
• Stir until the mixture has a uniform color and consistency.
• Turn off heat.
• In a separate small saucepan, bring honey to a boil over high heat.
• Boil for 1 minute.
• Immediately add hot honey to flour mixture.
• Stir until completely incorporated.
• Spread mixture into an ungreased loaf pan and pack down with the back of a spatula.
• Let cool at room temperature for 2 hours or until the pan feels cool.
• It will shrink back slightly from the edges of the pan as it cools, and should therefore unmold easily when the pan is inverted.
• Cover tightly (in or out of the loaf paand store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• To serve, cut into thin slices.

HONEY SESAME HALVA

Steps:

• 1. Grease an 8x10x2" rectangular non-stick pan and line the bottom with parchment and oil that too. You can also use a tin with a press out bottom, ramekins or a plastic container.
• 2. If you plan to use nuts in this it would be advisable to toast them at 350'F (180'C). And add them to the Honey syrup while it's still warm. Heat the honey is a medium sized sauce pan. Watch it, it will bubble up so keep a close eye on it.
• 3. I used a candy thermometer and when the temperature of the honey hit 240'F (115'C) the soft ball stage I took it off the heat to cool. If you are going to add nuts to this add them while the syrup is cooling.
• 4. While the honey is cooling, add your flavoring if using. I added some coconut essence to mine. Heat up the sesame tahini to 120'F (50'C) and fold the warm tahini into the warm syrup.
• 5. Once the mixture has cooled, cover it to keep out moister. This gives sugar crystals time to grow in the halva which gives it its distinct texture.
• 6. Enjoy!

HALVAH

Steps:

• Line an 8- x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
• Combine sugar, vanilla seeds and lemon zest with 1/2 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Allow mixture to simmer into a syrup, without stirring, until temperature registers 245 degrees on candy thermometer.
• While syrup is cooking, place tahini and salt in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle. Beat on medium speed. Carefully stream syrup into tahini with mixer running. Mix until syrup is incorporated and mixture begins to pull away from sides of bowl, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Be careful not to overmix. The halvah texture should be fudgelike, not sandy.
• Working quickly with a heatproof spatula, transfer mixture to the prepared pan. Place another piece of parchment on top and use your hands on top of the parchment to smooth out halvah. Cool completely to room temperature and cut into squares. Store at room temperature, well wrapped in plastic, for a week.