Sesame Candy

I saw this sesame candy being made up an episode of Lidia's Family Table and I just had to try them!

At first I was not going to blog the recipe because it was kind of a pain in the butt at the end! However Jim (and I) loved and devoured these yummies.

1 1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup of sugar (I just used 3/4 cup since I was worried they would be too sweet)
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons of butter
extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
zest of 1 orange, finely grated
1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ground

Also needed are a rimmed baking sheet, a small saucepan, pastry brush, metal spatula and either parchment or wax paper.

Preheat oven at 350F.

Spread the sesame seeds on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast until golden brown shaking occasionally (approximately 8 minutes). Set aside. While the seeds were toasting I got the rest of the ingredients ready.

Put sugar, honey, butter and 2 teaspoons of water in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon frequently as the butter melts and sugar dissolves. Let this come to boil, then simmer until golden brown (about 5 minutes).

Brush with olive oil a non-porous cool work surface (I used a metal baking sheet). Coat the spatula as well.

When caramel is ready, turn off the heat and add the sesame seeds, almonds, zest and cinnamon. 

Pour (and scrape) this mixture onto the oiled surface quickly. Spread to about 1/2 thick with spatula. 

Allow to cool slightly for about 1 to 2 minutes then start cutting with a serrated knife. This is where it becomes a pain in the butt. I was not fast enough maybe because I wanted to cut them in pieces. Hence the mess in the first photo! 

Lydia actually cut them in strips and pieces can be broken off to eat like a brittle. I would recommend using oiled parchment paper to put the mixture on since not being quick enough led to some of this sticking to the oiled pan!

The strips should be put in layers of parchment or wax paper in an air tight container. 

This recipe was challenging for me since I am not used to this type of candy making! Hard and sticky! It was a great learning process so now I feel a little more confident to try other candy like recipes.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe. If you give it a try, let me know! ~Val