Ħelwa tat-Tork bil-pistaċċi - Sesame & Sugar Confectionery with Pistachios

Ħelwa tat-Tork or Halvah hails from the Middle East but many many years back it was imported to Malta and ended up as one of the national confectionery must haves in all the sweet shops around the island. I remember my grandparents having a slice of Ħelwa tat-Tork and a piece of plain Maltese bread. My grandma used to say that is it just balances the sweetness of it all. I must say that when I had it with bread it did taste wonderfully good...although I think it must be Maltese bread or other rustic hard crusted bread. It is very easy to make as it consists only in 2 major ingredients...sugar & tahini [sesame paste]. All you need to get it right is a kitchen thermometer and a thick based pan as the temperature has to be perfect. It is usually served plain but feel free to add any roasted nuts to it....although best ones to use are pistachios. Almonds and hazelnuts are fine as well. So give it a try and always be careful when handling boiling sugar syrup....it is very very HOT!! You will need...

• 200g granulated sugar
• 260g Tahini [Sesame paste]
• 12 tbsp water
• Pistachios [not salted], roasted, shelled and skins removed
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. In a thick bottomed saucepan put the sugar and the water over very slow heat until the sugar dissolves. Stir slowly until it boils. Do not stir while and after it boils.
2. Let it boil until the thermometer reaches a temperature of 140°C or 284°F.
3. Meanwhile in a heat proof container mix the tahini, pistachios [or any other nuts you might have used] and vanilla essence.
4. When the sugar mixture reaches the required temperature [140°C or 284°F], pour it onto the tahini mixture in a slow steady stream whilst mixing well.
5. When done just leave it cool until solidifies. When cool, you can store it in tins or cut it in slabs and wrap them in greaseproof paper.
6. After storing, some sesame oil may be found around the confection, this will not interfere with the taste. You can always pat it dry with some kitchen paper.
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8. Enjoy!!! [with some Maltese bread maybe!!]
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10. R&A
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