Pasteli Sesame Bars
I always love something sweet with my coffee and this delicious Pasteli sesame bar absolutely fills that desire. More often recognised as sesame seed candy and basically is a confection of sesame seeds and sugar or honey pressed into a bar or ball. I always make mine with honey as I am always thinking ‘healthy’ where I can, and tend to make them crisp rather than chewy.
Lastly I should mention these delicious bars are very popular in the Middle East across to Asia and of course, very much enjoyed in my beloved Greece, which is where I sourced this family, traditional recipe.
Ingredients
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360g sesame seeds- raw
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1 cup liquid honey
Instructions
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Prepare baking tin:
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01 Line a 20cm square cake tin with non-stick baking paper.
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Sesame crunch:
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02 Spread sesame seeds on an oven tray and roast in a hot oven for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly golden brown in colour.
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03 Place honey in a saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium-high heat. Add warm roasted sesame seeds and cook until mixture reaches soft crack stage or 138°C on a sugar thermometer (or see Jules tip).
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04 Pour the hot sesame mixture immediately into the prepared, wait a few minutes before smoothing the surface with the back of an oiled metal spoon. Allow to cool completely and go hard before cutting.
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05 Using a sharp knife cut into 1x8cm pieces and store in an airtight container. Approximately 40 small bars.
Notes
If you do not have a sugar thermometer make as follows: for a chewy textured pasteli boil for 3 minutes, for a crunchy texture make sure you boil for at least 4 minutes but be careful as the mixture can turn very quickly and the end result be over cooked (burnt!).
