Tahini RecipeTahini is to Middle Easterners what peanut butter is to AmericansTahini is a sesame seed paste, used in this tahini recipe with puff pastry and chili palmiers, is made from ground sesame seeds, which have been used in cultures all around the world for at least 5000 years… Although you can make tahini at home for this tahini recipe, it is best (for simplicity’s sake) to purchase it from any Middle Eastern grocery store (it is now accessible in most mainstream grocery stores). A bit about Sesame seed HistorySesame reached an almost legend-like stature when in Arabian Nights, Scheherazade was the first person to give the sesame superhuman powers when she kept the Arab caliph spellbound for one thousand and one nights with her tales of intrigue and adventure. Because Sesame pods open at the slightest touch when they are ripe, Scheherazade provided Ali Baba with the magic words, “Open Sesame” to instantly open robbers’ den, in her story of “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”…Sesame seeds that feature in this tahini recipe are thought to be the oldest condiments, becoming integral part of the diet in India, Sumer, Egypt, and Anatolia. Historians believe the original homeland of the sesame seed is the Indian subcontinent…. Sesame oil was the ideal base for making exotic perfumes, a practice that dates back to the Babylonians around 2100 to 689 BCE. Babylonians used oil for cooking, sesame cakes, and medicine. They made wine and brandy using these seeds. Sesame oil was a crucial medicine to cure a bit e of spotted lizard.
Anyhow, try this fun tahini recipe with puff pastry and chili palmiers appetizer! Ingredients ½ cup (135 g/ 4 ½ oz) tahini Instructions 1. Preheat the oven to moderately hot 200 C (400 F). 2. Put the tahini, chili and paprika in a bowl, season with some salt and stir to combine. Spread half the paste evenly over each pastry sheet, making sure the paste goes all the way to the edges. 3. Take one pastry sheet and fold from opposite sides until the folds meet in the middle. Then fold one side over the other to resemble a closed book. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet and tahini mixture. Refrigerate the pastry at this stage for at least 30 minutes, to firm it up and make it easier to work with. 4. Cut the pastry into 1 cm ( ½ inch) slices. Cover two baking trays with baking paper and place the palmiers on them, making sure that the palmiers are not too close to one another as they will spread during cooking. 5. Bake the palmiers for 10-12 minutes on one side, then flip them over and bake for another 5-6 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. They are delicious served at room temperature or cold. NOTE: to freeze the palmiers, place the sliced, uncooked palmiers on a tray and freeze until firm, then seal in plastic bags. Allow to thaw on trays and cook as above. Cooked palmiers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week. If the palmiers soften, recrisp in a moderate oven for 3-5 minutes, then cool on a wire rack. Return from tahini recipe to social appetizers homepage |