Adding Homemade Sesame Seed Candy to the Easter Basket

Even though our children are grown adults and there is just the two of us, we still prepare a traditional Easter basket which will be taken to church the day before Easter Sunday for it to be blessed.  It is a beautiful Polish tradition and the content of the basket varies from family to family.  Some families bring the entire Easter dinner in huge baskets while others bring small amounts of Easter breakfast as a representation of the meal.  For us, it is the later. A link or two of freshly cooked Polish sausage, a crusty loaf of round bread, a shaggy butter lamb, an orange, decorated hard-boiled eggs, a mini sweet bread and salt and pepper are placed neatly in a napkin-lined medium size basket. It is further embellished with a stem or two of fresh flowers.  Children participate in this tradition by decorating the eggs and they usually bring their own basket of sweet treats, candies or little gifts, like stuffed animals, for blessings too.  

This year I made some homemade sesame seed candy that are soft and chewy and will be a new addition to this fragrant basket.  These candy squares can be purchased in the Polish grocery stores, but they are usually thin, crunchy and very much like brittle.  If you love the taste of sesame, you will love this sweet treat.  My little individually wrapped squares will be added to the aromatic basket and taken to mass for the traditional blessings.

 

Here is the yummy recipe:

Honey Sesame Seed Candy

2 C sesame seeds

3/4 C sugar

1/4 C honey

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. unsalted butter and 1 T butter for cookie sheet

1 T water

1/2 tsp. baking soda

Grease a 9x13 inch cookie sheet with soft butter.

On a second cookie sheet, toast sesame seeds on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes or until slightly golden brown and they release their fragrance.  (Watch carefully so they do not darken too much.)  Remove from oven and let cool.  

In a medium size pan, heat sugar, honey until dissolved.  Add salt, extract, butter, water and baking soda and mix completely.  Add toasted seeds and spread onto the heavily greased cookie sheet.  Press evenly and let cool.  Use a pizza cutter to cut into squares.  Wrap pieces in saran wrap and finish off with a ribbon and bow.   

It may not be chocolate, but I am sure glad the Easter Bunny decided to bring these chewy treats for the basket.  I hope you will give the recipe a try.