My grandparents loved halva, a sweet confection made with sesame butter and sugar, because it reminded them of their time spent in Israel. Individually wrapped halva candies could always be found in the depths of their candy drawer. Despite halva being a sweet confection, sesame seeds are incredibly nutritious and can be a part of healthy breakfast, so it inspired me to toss halva into my granola in place of dried fruit, for a granola that pays homage to my grandparents’ candy drawer and tastes a whole lot better than the raisin-filled granola of my childhood.

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 135°C. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, chia seeds, sesame seeds, pistachios, and cashews.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, olive oil, tahini, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until combined.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared sheet pan and spread it out in an even layer. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the halva. Let cool on the baking sheet.
• Transfer the granola to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 10 days.

NOTE: If you want to add dried fruit to your granola, do it as soon as the baking sheet is removed from the oven. The heat from the granola will soften the fruit and help it stick to the pieces. Don’t bake the dried fruit with the nuts and seeds, though, because the high sugar content of dried fruits will cause them to burn.

VARIATION: Add an egg white to the liquid ingredients in your granola to make it even crunchier with larger clusters. Egg whites act as a binder, and the addition can help the components stick together. Love cardamom? Add an extra 1⁄4 teaspoon!

Recipe adapted from: Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine