Name: Pasteli (Greek Sesame-Honey Bars)
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 1¾ cups sesame seeds; ¾ cup honey; ¼ teaspoon salt

Why This Recipe Works

The most authentic pasteli are made with just two ingredients—toasted sesame seeds and honey—though versions made with other seeds and nuts are also common. We wanted to develop an easy, traditional recipe that would yield crisp, flavorful bars with just a bit of chew. We started by toasting the sesame seeds in a moderately hot oven, stirring them often to ensure that they toasted evenly. (We found that freshly toasted seeds had a much more complex flavor than store-bought pretoasted seeds.) As the seeds cooled, we cooked the honey on the stovetop to a temperature between 300 and 310 degrees—any lower and the bars remained unappealingly chewy and sticky, but any higher and the honey tasted harsh and bitter. Adding a bit of salt to the honey-sesame mixture underscored the flavors nicely. We let the mixture cool slightly in a foil-lined baking pan, which made it easy to lift the bars out and slice them.

Before You Begin

We were careful not to let them cool for too long or they became difficult to cut. These bars are best made with an assertive honey, such as a spicy clover honey.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 8-inch square baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan, then grease foil.

Spread sesame seeds in even layer in rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring often, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes; immediately transfer to bowl.

Heat honey in large saucepan over medium-high heat until bubbling. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, gently swirling pan occasionally, until honey is deep amber and registers 300 to 310 degrees, 4 to 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in sesame seeds and salt until thoroughly combined.

Working quickly, carefully pour honey–sesame seed mixture into prepared pan and push into corners with greased rubber spatula. Let sit until cool enough to touch but still malleable, about 5 minutes. Using lightly greased fingers, gently press mixture into even layer. Let cool until firm, about 20 minutes. (Do not let bars sit for longer than 20 minutes or they will be too hard to cut.)

Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan and transfer to cutting board; discard foil. Cut into thirty-two 2 by 1-inch bars and transfer to wire rack. Let bars cool completely, about 1 hour, then transfer to airtight container. Let sit at room temperature until fully crisp, about 8 hours. Serve. (Bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 month.)