Sesame Cashew Bar
From the book - Soframiz by Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick
Note - this is an American recipe book and so the recipes are in pounds and ounces along with cups.
This recipe makes enough for a 13 x 9 inch (33 x 23 cm) tray.
Line the tray with foil, making sure the foil hangs over the edges of the tray. I use two layers of foil which works well. Lightly grease the foil, I use 1 cal frying spray or you can use butter.
The Base
2 cups plain flour, 7 oz unsalted cold butter, 2/3 cup (firmly packed) of light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon sea salt.
Cut the butter into small cubes and combine with the flour, salt and brown sugar in a food processor until the mixture resembles small pebbles. Pour the mixture into the tray and press down to form an even layer. Refrigerate the base for at least 30 minutes, or even over night.
Preheat the oven to 175 deg C / 350 F
Bake the crust until it’s golden, about 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and set it aside to cool.
The Filling
3 and ½ cups salted cashews, coarsely chopped, 2tbsp toasted sesame seeds, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 8oz unsalted butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 and ½ plus 2 tbsp firmly packed light brown sugar, ½ cup honey, 5 tbsp double cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Toast the sesame seeds in a small non-stick pan over a medium / low heat, keep them moving and cook until golden brown. Let them cool and then mix with the cashews.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the sugars and honey, and bring up to a medium heat. Whisking continuously, cook until the sugar has dissolved and the sugar begins to turn to caramel, forming large bubbles and starting to thicken (115 deg C / 240 F on a sugar thermometer). Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula mix together the caramel and the cashews / sesame seeds. Mix well.
Pour the filling onto the baked crust and bake for about 28 minutes, the filling will still be liquid, it will set as it cools.
Set aside to cool and then refrigerate overnight. Once cool use the foil to list the block out of the tray and cut into 36 or so squares.