Honey Sesame Bars
In Greece these bars are known as Pasteli; they are super easy to make and I’m sure they will become a family favourite. Plus, my Honey Sesame Bars are dairy, nut, gluten and grain-free. They also make great gifts when packaged up for family and friends!
Ingredients
- 215 g honey
- 200 g sesame seeds, toasted
- sea salt, pinch
- 1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
- ½-1 tsp sesame oil
Garnish
- white, milk or dark chocolate, drizzled
Instructions
- Pre-line an 8x8 square baking tin or dish with parchment paper, lightly brush the sides and base with sesame oil.
- In a non-stick frying pan toast the sesame seeds until golden brown over a medium heat, keep shaking the pan to prevent burning - this should take about 5-10 minutes. Alternatively, you can roast in the oven on 180oC (375F) until golden brown.
- In a medium saucepan, add the honey and lemon juice (if using) and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Then add toasted sesame seeds to the honey and place back on the stove for a further 5 minutes on a medium heat to thicken, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and add a touch of sea salt.
- Carefully spoon the mixture into the pre-lined tin, then flatten as well as you can with the back of a metal spoon. Leave to cool slightly, then flatten again so that the mixture is firmly packed and the top is smooth. Then refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Remove from the fridge, allow to come to roomtemperature before cutting into bars. I personally like to cut off the edge sand cut into 10 bars. Although, feel free to do what works best for you. If you like a little bit of decadence you can drizzle some melted chocolate over thebars.
- Keep frigerated or somewhere cool. Store in anair-tight container with sheets of parchment paper between each bar to prevent them from sticking together.
- Enjoy!
- When making thisrecipe, I’d LOVE to see how you get on so either send me a photo to lisa@myrelationshipwithfood.com or post a picture to Instagram using the #myrelationshipwithfood and tag @myrelationshipwithfood
Notes
LISA’S TIP – If you fancy more of a brittle-like sesame bar, omit the lemon juice and place in a larger 9x9 inch loose bottom tin. When cutting, you’ll get shards as opposed to bars which are perfect on top of ice cream or even for decorative use on top of cheesecakes! If you fancy you can switch up the seeds and add some pumpkin or sunflower seeds for that extra bit of crunch. Or if you prefer chopped nuts will work too – you could try almonds, pistachio or even peanuts. You can also choose to omit the lemon juice and add vanilla bean paste instead. However, if you do choose to add vanilla, I would suggest adding a little bit so as to not to overwhelm the sesame seeds.
