Tahini Halva

🥘 Ingredients

• tahini 1 ½ cups
• kosher salt ½ tsp
• vanilla extract 1 tsp
• granulated sugar 1 ½ cups
• water 1 cup
• black sesame seeds

1. 1

   mix room temperature tahini with kosher salt and vanilla extract . I like to use a silicon spatula and mixing bowl to do this, but you can also save your wrists a bit of work by using a stand mixer.
2. 2

   add granulated sugar and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. A candy thermometer is crucial here, just like with fudge, to ensure that the sugar syrup reaches the hard ball (250 degrees fahrenheit) stage, otherwise, your halva will not set and have more of a taffy-like texture. If you don't have and don't want to get a candy thermometer, then the sugar will usually reach this stage after about 7-10 minutes of boiling.
3. 3

   quickly transfer the sugar syrup into the mixing bowl with the tahini mixture and fold together until just incorporated. Pour the whole mixture into a square backing pan lined with parchment paper and gently spread with the spatula. Optionally top with black sesame seeds , and set it in the fridge to firm up for at least 2 hours.
4. 4

   Slice into cubes and serve! I find it goes really well with a nice cup of coffee spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and anise.