Mum's Sesame Nut Bar (Pastellaki) | Recipe

This recipe is a family favourite. A great way to get loads of sesame seeds into your diet, which are packed with Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, B7 & Folate. 

The recipe below will make approximately 16-20 squares.

Ingredients:

• 400g Sesame Seeds (Washed and dried)
• 400g Peanuts, roasted and slightly salted  (Cashews or Almonds work well, or a mixture of peanuts and cashews)
• 4 tbsp Honey
• 5 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp White Vinegar

Method:

1. Roast Sesame Seeds.
   Preheat your oven to 175 degrees C and place seeds into a large roasting tray with a flat base (the bigger the tray the better) and roast until a blonde toasted colour. (This can also be done in the pan, be careful as sesame seeds can burn quickly). Always keep an eye on them and stir regularly, to avoid burning. Roast the seeds for up to 10 minutes stirring the sesame seeds ever 2-3 minutes to get a nice even colour throughout.

2. Turn your oven off after 10 minutes, rest the seeds inside to finish cooking if required. Stir the peanuts into the sesame seeds in same tray and put back into oven that is still warm but switched off to rest while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

3. Place sugar, honey and vinegar in a saucepan on medium heat on the stove (use pan or saucepan that is large enough to put all the nuts in later). Stir until sugar melts and caramelises. You will know its ready when it starts to slightly brown and smell of candy. Stir this wet mixture constantly so it does not burn. Turn stove off.

4. Take the nuts out oven and mix them into saucepan with caramelised ingredients. Stir all ingredients together well and then place back on low-medium heat on stove, stir constantly for 5 minutes. 

5. Line a backing tray with baking paper. Pour your mixture onto baking paper and with a large tray, press down on the mixture until you have an even block.

6. When you have the mixture spread out evenly over the tray cut it into desired squares/pieces as soon as possible (once it cools down it will be extremely difficult to cut and will break up unevenly).
   
   Allow to cool and enjoy!