HALVA RECIPES

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.

Steps:

• Line a 8”-x-8” pan with parchment paper. Place tahini and salt in a large bowl. Place a kitchen towel under the bowl — this will help when stirring.  In a medium pot over medium heat, combine sugar, water, and vanilla bean seeds. If you are using vanilla extract, add it to the tahini mixture. Give it a stir, then without stirring, bring mixture to 245°. Use a wet pastry brush to wipe down sides of pan as sugar crystals form.  Once mixture is heated to 245°, carefully and slowly pour syrup into tahini mixture while stirring and continue to stir until fully combined and mixture thickens. Careful to not over mix after it thickens or your halva will be too crumbly.  Pour mixture into prepared pan and smooth top. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours. Add cardamom to tahini mixture. After adding sugar mixture to tahini, stir in ½ cup of pistachios.  Pour mixture into prepared pan top with remaining ¼ cup pistachios, pressing them in and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours.  After stirring in sugar mixture to tahini, add chocolate to bowl and let sit for 30 seconds. Gently stir in chocolate leaving streaks.  Pour into prepared pan and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours.  Add coffee to tahini with salt and stir until combined.  Heat and add sugar mixture as directed.