No-Bake Halva and Chocolate Balls with homemade halva

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade halva ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Grease parchment paper well and line a pan with it, so the paper comes up over the sides.

   Baking panParchment paper
2. 2
   Put the sugar and water in a small pot, bring to a boil and cook another 6–8 minutes, until the syrup is thick and stringy.

   Small saucepanStove

   💡On a candy thermometer, the syrup is ready at 121°C.
3. 3
   Beat the tahini in the mixer bowl with the paddle on low speed, raise to medium and pour the hot syrup in a thin stream down the side of the bowl.

   Stand mixer

   💡The syrup is extremely hot: pour it slowly in a thin stream, and don't touch it.
4. 4
   Beat until the syrup is fully absorbed into the tahini, add the vanilla and beat another 30–40 seconds.

   Stand mixer
5. 5
   Transfer the mixture to the pan and press down well.

   Baking pan
6. 6
   Leave at room temperature 6 hours at least, until the halva sets, and slice diced.

   Knife

   💡Halva keeps in the fridge up to two weeks.

For the Cookies

1. 7
   In a bowl, mix the chocolate, tahini, halva, cocoa, honey, cinnamon and cardamom well, until the mixture is moist and holds together when pressed.

   Bowl
2. 8
   Put the mixture in the fridge for 20 minutes, until it is easy to shape into balls.

   Refrigerator
3. 9
   With damp hands, shape balls the size of a marble and coat half of them in Sesame.

   💡Damp hands don't stick to the mixture, and the balls come out smooth and round.
4. 10
   Coat the rest of the balls in Cocoa powder.
5. 11
   Return the balls to the fridge for a few hours, until they firm up.

   Refrigerator
6. 12
   Keep in a closed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

   Storage container