Sesame Halva Recipes

SESAME HALVA

Steps:

• Heat sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat until slightly toasted.
• After toasting cool them.
• Put these sesame seeds in the food processor and blend them completely.
• Add tahini, sugar, honey, allspice and cinnamon in this blend and again pulse the food processor until a thick (nearly solid) mixture is obtained.
• Place this thick mixture in the refrigerator and allow it cool for about 15 minutes or until firm.
• Cut it into squares and serve.

TAHINI HALVAH

Steps:

• Enjoy.

HALVA (SESAME SEED FUDGE)

Steps:

• Cook sugar and milk in a sauce pot over medium heat to just under the soft-ball stage (203 degrees F).
• Remove from heat and add Tahini and vanilla but do not stir.
• Wait 2 minutes.
• Beat the mixture with a paddle or spoon for a few seconds.
• Pour into a small buttered pan.

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.

SESAME HALVA, RAW VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE, WHEAT FREE, DAIRY FREE

Steps:

• process the sesame seeds for until a paste consistency, scrapping down the sides as required. This may take several minutes. If your machine gets warm (you don't want the paste getting too warm) just take a break and let it cool a bit. Now you have your own fresh tahini.
• Add the finely chopped dates (can use date paste here, I make my own date paste when I'm motivated so I've got it there for later) and vanilla and process scrapping down the sides until the dates are incorporated and the halva is a thick grainy paste. At this stage you take it out and mix by hand any additions you would like.
• Press it into a suitable container, preferably a shallow one and put it in the fridge, it's now ready to eat as is but it will firm up nicely overnight. Once it's set I like to tip it onto a plate and cut chunks off like cheese. Will keep in the fridge for a while.

HALVA 5 WAYS

Steps:

• Line an 8x8" baking pan or a 9x4" loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2" overhang on 2 sides. Using a wooden spoon, mix tahini, salt, and vanilla in a medium heatproof bowl.
• Pour 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan, then stir in sugar. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan.
• Bring sugar to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally to help sugar dissolve, until thermometer registers 250°F. Immediately remove syrup from heat. Gradually stream syrup into tahini mixture, mixing tahini constantly with wooden spoon. Continue to stir just until halva comes together in a smooth mass and starts to pull away from sides of bowl (less than a minute). Be careful not to overmix or halva will be crumbly.
• Working quickly, scrape halva into prepared pan, pushing toward edges; smooth top. Let cool to room temperature, then cover tightly with plastic and chill at least 2 hours. Remove from pan using parchment overhang. Slice as desired to serve.
• Do Ahead: Halva can be made 3 weeks ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.
• For Pistachio-Rose Halva
• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 300°F. Spread 1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast until fragrant and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer nuts to a plate. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
• Prepare halva, adding half of the chopped pistachios and 1/4 tsp. rosewater to the tahini, salt, and vanilla mixture.
• Stir sugar syrup into tahini mixture and form halva as directed. Sprinkle remaining nuts over, pressing gently to adhere. Cover and chill as directed.
• For Cardamom-Chocolate Halva:
• Prepare halva, adding 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom to the tahini, salt, and vanilla mixture.
• Stir sugar syrup into tahini mixture, then quickly stir in 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate just to combine (you want to see streaks of chocolate). Form halva as directed. Sprinkle 1/4 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate over, pressing gently to adhere. Cover and chill as directed.
• For Lemon-Poppy Seed Halva:
• Prepare halva, adding 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds to the tahini, salt, and vanilla mixture.
• Add 1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest to water in saucepan before making the sugar syrup, then prepare syrup as directed.
• Form halva as directed. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds over, pressing very gently just to adhere. Cover and chill as directed.
• For Chocolate-Za'atar Halvah:
• Prepare halva, adding 1/2 tsp. za'atar to the tahini, salt, and vanilla mixture.
• Stir sugar syrup into tahini mixture as directed, then quickly stir in 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate just to combine (you want to see streaks of chocolate). Form halva as directed. Sprinkle 1/4 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate over, pressing gently to adhere. Cover and chill as directed.