Halvah Parfait Recipes

HALVAH

Steps:

• Line an 8- x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
• Combine sugar, vanilla seeds and lemon zest with 1/2 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Allow mixture to simmer into a syrup, without stirring, until temperature registers 245 degrees on candy thermometer.
• While syrup is cooking, place tahini and salt in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle. Beat on medium speed. Carefully stream syrup into tahini with mixer running. Mix until syrup is incorporated and mixture begins to pull away from sides of bowl, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Be careful not to overmix. The halvah texture should be fudgelike, not sandy.
• Working quickly with a heatproof spatula, transfer mixture to the prepared pan. Place another piece of parchment on top and use your hands on top of the parchment to smooth out halvah. Cool completely to room temperature and cut into squares. Store at room temperature, well wrapped in plastic, for a week.

HALVAH PARFAIT

Steps:

• In a bowl whip the sweet cream until it forms stiff peaks. In a small saucepan mix the sugar with 6 tablespoons of water and boil for 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool.
• In the top of a double boiler, over but not in boiling water, place the syrup and add the egg yolks and Amaretto.
• Mix with a hand mixer without stopping until the mixture is thick in texture and lighter in color and begins to form a foam on the surface.
• Remove from the heat, transfer to a mixing bowl and add the halvah.
• Mix at a high speed without stopping for 15 minutes and then fold in the whipped cream, mixing gently with a plastic spatula until the mixture is even throughout.
• Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper and place in the freezer for a minimum of 6-8 hours. Serve in thick slices as a dessert.
• *Hailing from the Middle East, this confection is made from ground sesame seed and honey, sometimes with the addition of chopped dried fruit and pistachio nuts. It`s available in most supermarkets in wrapped bars, and in Jewish delicatessens in long slabs from which individual slices can be cut.