I don’t like to admit it but sometimes the fruits don’t cut it when I need energy or when I just need something sweet. If you are like me and don’t like chocolate (even the most expensive kind), then you’ll find these Greek treats wonderful and the perfect “cure” for your sweet tooth.

Try to use organic, quality ingredients (a trip to the farmers’ market might be exactly what you need). The quality of the final product is influenced by what you are using.

Tahini & Honey Spread

If you like peanut butter than you’ll find this Greek treat wonderful. It’s also a great alternative to peanut butter because it doesn’t contain any nuts. The ratio of honey to tahini is a personal preference but you should start with mixing ¼ cup of organic honey with ¼ cup of organic tahini (stir the tahini before using because the oil rises at the top). Now you can adjust the taste according to your own preferences.

The spread can be stored in the pantry for couple of days. Stir it well before serving. Ideally, serve it on top of whole wheat or mix grain bread.

And by the way, a tablespoon of tahini & honey spread has less calories than a tablespoon of peanut butter.

Pasteli

You might have seen Pasteli at the market. But those are commercially produced and refined sugar is used, hence they turn very hard. The traditional recipe calls for organic honey.

To make it at home you need hulled white sesame seeds and honey. You need equal parts of each ingredient, by weight which means about 1 1/3 cups of honey (1/2 kg) and about 3 cups of seeds (1/2 kg) [adjust the quantities if you want to make more/less].

In a sauce pan, bring the honey to a boil. If you want to give Pasteli a nice lemon flavor, add a strip of lemon peel. When the honey boils, add the seeds while you continue stirring. Allow it to bring to boil again then remove it from the heat and take the lemon peel off.

On a cold working surface put a piece of parchment paper and spread the mixture on it (thin or thick, depending on your preference). Allow it to chill for couple of hours and then cut it into serving sizes (small ones). It now can be served (just remove the paper from the bottom).

Pasteli are great “energy bars” and can also be served with tea (instead of the cookies).

Photo credit:
Honey: justmakeit on Flickr
Pasteli: fo.ol on Flickr