Sesame Bars (Semsemyieh)

Semsemyieh is a typical souk dessert, made of toasted sesame seeds and ground almonds set in a sweet syrup, though it could also be made from chopped cashews, or all almonds, or pistachios. Large blocks of the candy are prepared and cut into bite-size pieces for serving.

1. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet, stirring constantly, until the seeds are uniformly golden.

2. In a food processor, whiz the almonds to a fine powder.

3. Mix the sugar and the honey in a pot and boil to obtain a thick syrup. Add the almond powder and stir well. Add the toasted sesame seeds and mix well.

4. Spread the tahini on the bottom and sides of a 12-inch (30-cm) square baking pan. Spread the hot sesame mixture thinly in the pan (it should be less than 1/3 inch [1 cm] thick). Wet your hand and even out the surface. Let cool and set.

5. Refrigerate the pan for 4 hours, for the candy to set well and harden, and then cut into bite-size pieces. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.