Pastelli
In the good old days it was seen as a good thing, an extravagance—‘‘finish your food and you can have a piece of pastelli.’’ I love it with the pistachio nuts that the island of Aegina is so well known for.
Ingredients
- Mild vegetable oil for the work surface
- 3/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons sesame seeds*
- 1/3 cup shelled pistachios, broken in half
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup mild-flavored runny honey
Instructions
- Lightly oil a wooden spoon and a flat, heatproof work surface, such as a slab of marble, a plastic pastry sheet, even a large, flat plate. Have a small bowl of ice water ready and your rolling pin ready.
- Place the sesame seeds and pistachios in a nonstick skillet and toast them lightly over low heat just until they take on a hint of color. [Editor's Note: You want to be careful not to overdo the toasting, as the seeds and nuts will remain in the skillet and will continue to take on a deeper, richer hue and taste. If you happen to turn your back and accidentally toast them a little too much, transfer them to a plate and continue with step 3, melting the sugar without the seeds and nuts in the skillet. Then return the seeds and pistachios to the skillet when you add the honey. Trust us. We've been there.]
- Add the sugar to the seeds and nuts in the skillet and cook, without stirring, over low heat until the sugar melts and takes on a pale golden hue.
- Standing back so as to avoid any potential splatters, carefully add the honey to the skillet. Working quickly, stir the honey into the sesame seeds and pistachios and mix it while you can, as the mixture will soon turn sticky and thick. Scrape the pastelli out onto the oil-slicked work surface and flatten it a bit with the back of the oiled spoon. Still working fast and furious, dip your hands in the cold water and then use them to form the pastelli into a rectangular shape. Grab your rolling pin and level the surface, stretching it to a rectangle that's about 1/4 inch thick and roughly 6 by 7 inches in length.
- Let the pastelli cool for just a few minutes, and then cut the pastelli into 1 1/4-inch squares. But don't dally or the pastelli will become too hard to cut. (The pastelli keeps in an airtight container for many days.)
Notes
*Can I use black sesame seeds in my pastelli?
Black and white sesame seeds come from the same place—white is simply the seed with the hull removed. But that doesn’t mean that they’re strictly interchangeable. The hull is sorta bitter, so black sesame seeds are generally used with other ingredients that can stand up to the flavor. They do make a striking garnish so a sprinkle wouldn’t go amiss, here.Nutrition
Serving: 1square | Calories: 44kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g