HOW TO MAKE PASTELI | SESAME ALMOND BARS | GREEK SWEET

Hi Everyone,

Pasteli, a sweet sesame treat you can have with tea or on its own. With only 4 ingredients, this recipe makes a large batch which lasts for weeks.

Hope you like it!
Honey Syrup Channel

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PASTELI INGREDIENTS ( Large batch)
1 kilogram white sesame seeds
750 grams almonds
225 grams white sugar
350 grams honey
Glass of cold water for testing syrup

TOOLS
Measuring cup
Wooden spoon
Baking tray
Baking paper
Long rolling pin
Large frypan
Large casserole pan
Scale
Spoon
Bowl
Glass
Sticky tape (optional)
Large airtight container for storage
A heat resistant surface where you can roll out the hot mixture, you can put two large chopping boards together or use a large wooden board. Ideally but not always possilble a surface area of about 90cm x 90 cm would be easier to use.

PASTELI INSTRUCTIONS

1. Gather your tools and ingredients and cover the two chopping boards or heat resistant surface with baking paper. You can use sticky tape to tape down the sides of the baking paper so it doesn't slip around. Leave the the rolling pin next to it. Once the pasteli is cooked, you will need to work quickly to roll out the mixture before it cools and hardens.

2. Preheat your oven on 180 Degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.

3. Spread the almonds on a baking tray lined with baking paper and toast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove and place aside.

4. Toast the sesame by pouring 1 kilogram into a large deep frypan. Place the pan on the gas stove on the medium eye on medium heat and mix constantly for about 10 minutes or until the sesame changes to a light golden colour. Sesame can burn quite quickly at the bottom of the pan, so it is important you keep mixing and turning over the sesame from bottom to top.

5. To make the honey sugar syrup that will bind the sesame and almonds place a large casserole pan on the gas stove on the medium eye on high heat. Add the sugar and honey and stir with a wooden spoon for 6 minutes. It will begin to bubble and darken in colour. You can test to see if the syrup has caramelised by letting some drizzle into a glass of cold water, the syrup should not disperse too much and when you touch it, it should feel like soft candy.

Move the pan to the small eye on the gas stove and switch on the heat between medium and low. Add the toasted almonds and sesame into the syrup, mix well for 5 mintues so that the sesame and almonds are evenly coated in the syrup. You have to work fast here as the sesame may scorch, if it does lower the temperature. The mixture will be become quite sticky and difficult to mix but keep mixing. After 5 minutes switch off the heat and take your pan to the heat resistant surface or the wooden boards.

6. Empty the pasteli mixture straight onto the boards or heat resistant surface covered with baking paper and spread it out with a wooden spoon. Place another sheet of baking paper on top of the mixture, place your rolling pin on top of that and roll it out to about 1 cm thick or as much as it will go.

7. With a sharp knife cut the pasteli into diamond shapes by firstly cutting diagonal lines then vertical lines. If your knife is blunt let the mixture cool for a few minutes and then cut it.

8. Let the pasteli bars cool, they will begin to harden. Store in a airtight container using baking paper in between each layer of pasteli pieces so they do not stick together.

Note: All ovens and stoves are different. If the pasteli turns out to be too soft, it is because you have not cooked the honey sugar syrup long enough. It may need an extra couple of minutes. If the pasteli tastes a bit bitter it may be because you have scorched some of the pasteli when cooking in the pan.

Tip: If you have trouble washing your pan later because the sugar syrup has hardened and is stuck to it, use hot water to soften it, then wash it.


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