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Sesame Candy Crunch

Sesame seed candies in small rectangular shape in a white bowl.

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One of the best homemade candies you can make with only two ingredients: Sesame seeds and sugar.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup sesame seeds, toasted

Instructions

  1. Toast the raw sesame seeds in a non-stick pan until golden, for 6-8 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. When they are golden brown and spread a nice nutty smell, remove the pan from the heat. Immediately transfer them into a bowl, otherwise they might get burnt due to the heat of the pan. 

  2. Put the sugar in a large pan and let it melt over medium heat. Do NOT stir it, swirl the pan instead to avoid crystallization. When some parts of the sugar melts and some parts of it remains as it is, use a heat-proof spatula with a long handle and fold the melted sugar on the unmelted sugar. This will help the melted sugar not to burn and unmelted sugar to melt. Swirl the pan again for a few times. Repeat the same step for any unmelted sugar. 

  3. When the sugar completely melts and turns into an amber color, remove it from the heat. Immediately add in the toasted sesame seeds and give it a good stir. Make sure they are combined well. 

  4. Transfer the caramelized sesame seeds onto a parchment paper and spread it with a spatula. It will be too hot, so be careful and don’t touch it.

  5. Place another parchment sheet on the sticky sesame seeds and level the mixture with a rolling pin. 

  6. Slice with a sharp knife when it is still hot. You can cut it into squares, triangles or rectangles. And they don’t have to look perfect.

  7. Let them cool completely and store in jars or airtight containers at room temperatures for several weeks.

Notes

  1. Be careful not to over toast your seeds. They might get a bitter flavor otherwise.
  2. You can toast the sesame seeds in the oven by placing them on a baking sheet too.
  3. If you have toasted sesame seeds, skip the toasting step. 
  4. The best way to prevent sugar crystals from forming while the sugar is melting is to use our swirling method mentioned above. This is a gentle way to help all the granules melt without agitating the crystals too much.
  5. If you see crystals forming on the sides of the pan that you cannot get away from, use this trick. Fill a cup with boiling water. Then, using a pastry brush, brush over the sides where the crystals are forming. This gently melts them and reintroduces them back into the mixture.
  6. Use a sharp knife and slice it when it is still warm. It gets harder to slice when it is completely cool.

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