Halvah

Adapted from The Arabesque Table: Contemporary Recipes from the Arab World by Reem Kassis

You can customize this halvah with various toppings, swapping out the pistachios with roasted peanuts or cashews, rose petals, sesame seeds, chocolate chips or roasted cocoa nibs, coffee beans, sesame or pumpkin seeds, or whatever and wherever your imagination takes you. Reem offers a few other suggestions in the book, such as adding cocoa powder, cardamom and other flavors to the mix.

I've suggested a few very good brands of tahini in the post if looking for recommendations but a trip to a shop that specializes in ingredients for Arabic cooking should yield a few other options.

Traditional halvah is made with soapwort, and with laborious stirring, So although the texture of this halvah is a bit softer than store-bought halvah, but it's still sliceable and very enjoyable.

Course Dessert

Servings 10 servings

1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (120g) whole milk powder
3/4 cup (200g) tahini, well-stirred before using
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 tablespoons (25g) very coarsely chopped pistachios, (see headnote for other suggestions)

In a medium bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and milk powder. Add the tahini and vanilla and continue to stir until the mixture starts clumping together. Use your clean hands to knead the mixture until it comes together into a smooth, dough-like round that's not sticky. (As shown in the post.) Reem advised me to avoid adding more tahini unless it absolutely won't come together because adding the more tahini you add the softer it will be. (And you don't want it too soft.) If it feels too wet or sticky, add a bit more powdered milk.
Line a 3 cup (700ml) glass or plastic container of any shape with a sheet of plastic wrap that goes inside the mold and up and over the edges. Smooth out any wrinkles as best you can and put the pistachios in an even layer on the bottom. Press the halvah mixture into the mold and smooth the top. Rap the container a few times gently on a folded kitchen towel on the countertop to encourage the mixture to pack snugly in the mold. Cover with the plastic wrap overhang and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Notes

Serving: To serve, unmold the halvah onto a plate or cutting board and serve for dessert with tea, if desired.