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A month ago I posted a recipe for the Pumpkin Seed-Sesame Crunch Bars which were a hit at my New Year’s open house. For some reason, I can’t stop playing around with this recipe! My goal is to make the bars firmer and crunchier. Today’s bars stray quite a bit from last month’s, although the concept is the same: a crisp, candy-like bar, full of seeds, and modeled on the halvah made from sesame seeds which is popular in the Balkan countries and parts of the Middle East. Today’s version is inspired by an Indian treat called gajjak, which is flavored exotically with saffron, cardamom and rose water. Like the original recipe, today’s version is a snap to make (the only hard part is the shopping). Rose water is a common ingredient in sweets from the Middle East, particularly Iran, and east to India. You’re most likely to find it in stores specializing in foods from those regions, although a well-stocked gourmet foods store also should have it. If you do find it, it’s not expensive and has a long shelf life. In any case, it’s an interesting addition to this recipe, but not essential–so don’t drive across town just to buy some. Let me know how you like this version (recipe after the jump). Continue reading
