Sesame Honey Bars
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For those of you with a sweet tooth, these little bars are a nice change of pace. They are a common and traditional treat in Greece. The sesame seeds have many important minerals but these bars are calorie dense, so save them as a special treat. Pick a strong flavored honey for this dish, like a mesquite honey.
MAKES:16 Servings
PREP/COOK TIME: 30 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups sesame seeds
3/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
Make a foil sling for an 8 inch square pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil so each is 8 inches wide. Lay the sheets in the pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of the pan. Push the foil into the corners and up the sides of pan, smoothing the foil flush to the pan, then grease the foil.
Toast the sesame seeds in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until well toasted. Watch them carefully as they can burn easily. Immediately transfer them to a bowl.
Heat honey in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until bubbling. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, gently swirling saucepan occasionally, until honey is deep amber and registers 300 to 310 on a candy thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes. Off the heat, stir in sesame seeds and salt until thoroughly combined.
Working quickly, carefully pour sesame seed mixture into prepared pan and push into corners using a greased rubber spatula. Let sit until cool enough to touch, but still malleable, about 5 minutes. Using your lightly greased fingers, gently press mixture into an even layer. Let cool until firm, about 20 minutes. Do Not let bars sit for longer than 20 minutes or they will be too difficult to cut.
Using the foil overhang, lift bars out of pan and transfers to a cutting board; discard foil. Cut into 16 bars and transfer to wire rack to completely cool.
Let cool completely, about 1 hour then transfer to an airtight container. Let sit at room temperature until fully crisp, about 8 hours. Bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 month.
