I expected this kind of burfi (Indian candy-like cake bars that come in many variations) to be similar with those ready-to-buy sesame and honey bars conveniently found everywhere. And so wrong I was. Softer and chewy in texture, the strong milky taste is so far from what you would normally expect and so much better; that you could not believe your mouth. :) I was so pleasantly surprised by these that they became one of the things I often repeat.
I even made some a evening before going to the airport and arriving in Romania and packed them up and made sure they survived the transport so we could give a few to our friends Vlad and Laura for the brief 15 minutes we had with them at the airport, before departing again. We didn't have much time because we had to get home with our baby girl Mira and we still had 4-5 hours of travel ahead and the day was already very straining for her, but those two really wanted to see us and most of all wanted to meet her. :) A week later they also became her godparents.
So while we were taking a bit of air and waited to meet them, they arrived with the traditional salt and bread platter - it was very unexpected, funny and cheesy but also kind of cool. That's the kind of relationship we have :). Our return of gift on the spot was these sesame seed burfi bars, made a night before and carried all across Europe :). Somehow, I find this dessert very fitting for a baby celebration, since we made them with some of Mira's powder milk :).
To cut a long story short - Mira, this is how you met your godfather and godmother. They were charmed by "how white and delicate your hands are" and "how big and blue your eyes are", how much you resemble me and how heart-melting you cling to me and need me and grow restless when I'm not in sight and suddenly calm down when you feel me close. In short, Mira, you made quite an impression and you were a little wonder, as you always are. Today is your first anniversary. Happy birthday! :)
For you other folks, the moral of the story is that these bars will make for the most heart-felt home-made gift and be delicious. :)
P.S: You need a good non-stick pan and a rubber spatula and continuous attention for about 20 minutes or so. Recipe source: here.
Last year: Sprinkle butter cookies (Italian).
Two years ago: Pickled mustard and Marliesentorte (German chocolate and hazelnut cake).
Ingredients :
- 120 g sesame seeds
- 250 ml cream (30 % fat, liquid type for whipping)
- 300 g milk powder
- 112 g sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Dry-roast the sesame on low heat, stirring often, until golden and fragrant.
Remove from the hot pan and set aside. Put the cream and milk powder in the pan and stir to combine.
Wait until the mixture becomes bubbly, then start mixing with the rubber spatula and scraping the sides of the pan for any solids. Do so until the mixture thickens and starts to resemble a batter.
Add the sesame seeds and mix well. Continue cooking and stirring until the mass thickens again and resembles cookie dough in texture.
Add sugar:
Mix well. It will become a bit soft in texture, but continue mixing and cooking until it thickens again to cookie dough consistency.
Remove from the heat and pour it on a well-buttered platter, leveling it if necessary:
Let it rest and thicken for at least 2 hours - overnight. At room temperature (if you put it in the fridge it will be too hard and lose much of its flavor). Then, cut into bars and transfer to a serving plate.
It's done, dig in! :)
P.S: And share it with people you care about.
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