This is one of Jeff's childhood favorites - these crunchy sweet candies are so easy to make that you are going to wonder why you ever would buy one at the store anymore.
Give it a try and enjoy! Just be careful with your teeth, they are a bit extra crunchy :)
Ingredients
8 oz sesame seeds
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbs honey
Directions
Start by toasting your sesame seeds. I’m doing this on top of the stove, but I would imagine you could also do it in the oven if you think it would be easier. You’d just need to do a little experimenting with the time and temperature.
Dulce de Ajonjolí
Add your sesame seeds to a wide heavy pan over high heat. Stir your seeds constantly, so they don’t toast unevenly or burn.
After a minute or two, you should start to hear the sesame seeds popping, almost like popcorn. This means you are getting close. Keep stirring until the seeds darken slightly in color and start to produce a little bit of smoke. Then pull your pan off the heat and transfer your seeds to another container.
Now, using the same pan as before, we are going to make our caramelized sugar, which we will use to hold the sesame seeds together. Add your sugar and honey to the pan, and turn your stove to medium high heat.
Stir constantly until your sugar melts and turns a deep brown color. Do your best to eliminate any clumps that form in your sugar.
Once your sugar is ready, pour in your sesame seeds and stir to combine.
Then pour out your candy mixture on to a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. Now shape your candy into a sheet about ½ an inch thick. What I found easiest was just putting another layer of parchment paper on top of my candy and then using the bottom of a pyrex dish to flatten it.
Once shaped, let your candy cool completely. At this point, it’s all ready to eat and you could just break off a piece and chow down. However, I wanted to see if I could shape it into the neat rectangles you’d usually buy it in. To do this, use a knife to cut away the uneven sides, then cut it into small rectangles.
The candy is pretty brittle, so be careful not to accidentally break it. Once you’ve got it into the shape you want it, it’s all ready to serve.
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