How to Make Persian Sesame Brittle

This recipe is adapted from Nejmeh Batmanglij’s cookbook, Joon: Persian Cooking Made Simple.

On my recent trip home to North Dakota, I was gifted a beautiful Persian cookbook by my brother-in-law. I’m so excited to cook through it and learn even more delicious meals.

My mom and I decided to try making this sesame brittle, or shirini konjedi (literally: sesame candy) as it’s called in Farsi. It was so simple and came together quickly and easily! I found myself meandering back to my parents’ pantry throughout the day to sneak a few pieces.

This brittle is tasty on its own but it’s normally eaten alongside a glass of black tea (try brewing your own Persian chai here). My mom served the brittle with a bowl of ice cream to some recent guests, which I want to try the next time I make this.

The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of sesame seeds – much more than the little packs available in the spice aisle. You can certainly load up on multiple packs, but my mom found her sesame seeds in the bulk section of our local grocery store and was able to get an exact amount for a good price.

I hope you try this sweet and easy little snack!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons rose water*
1 1/2 cups raw sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

METHOD:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
In a medium heavy-bottomed pot, stir together all the ingredients.
Over medium heat, bring mixture to a light simmer, stirring occasionally.
Let the mixture cook for about 20 minutes or until the sesame seeds have turned a light golden brown, stirring every few minutes.
Working quickly, pour mixture over the parchment paper and smooth out into an even layer with a greased spatula or spoon. It will begin to harden fast.
Let the brittle set at room temperature for about 30 minutes.**
Once hardened, break the brittle into small pieces.

RECIPE NOTES:
*Rosewater is optional but I highly recommend including it. It pairs really well with the warming spices.
**After 30 minutes of setting, my mom and I felt that our brittle was still soft, so we stuck the entire baking sheet into the fridge for another 20 minutes or so. This helped harden up the brittle so that it cracked easily.