Maison Alephs Sesame Halvah 1001 Feuilles Recipes

MAISON ALEPH'S SESAME-HALVAH 1,001 FEUILLES

Steps:

• Make the filling: Working with a mixer (preferably fitted with a paddle attachment), beat the butter, halvah and tahini together on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar, cornstarch and salt, and mix on low for 2 minutes more. Add the eggs one by one, beating for a minute after each goes in; you'll have a thick, smooth, shiny mixture (think mayonnaise). Stir in the sesame seeds. Scrape the filling into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (or for up to 2 days; longer is better than shorter).
• Build the layers: Lay the phyllo out on a piece of plastic wrap, and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Always keep the towel moistened: The dough dries in a flash.
• Brush the interior of a rimmed baking sheet (12 inches by 17 inches) with clarified butter. Place a sheet of dough in the pan, brush with butter and dust lightly with confectioners' sugar (use about 2 tablespoons of sugar per sheet). Continue until you have made 14 layers. Spread the filling evenly over the top, and then continue making layers with the remaining dough, buttering and sugaring each layer (you'll have some butter left; hold on to it). Refrigerate the setup for at least 30 minutes (or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day).
• Center a rack in the oven, and heat it to 350 degrees. Using a pizza cutter (best) or a sharp knife, trim the edges (don't remove them), then cut as many 2-inch squares as possible, cutting all the way through the layers. Scatter the sesame seeds over the top.
• Bake for about 40 minutes, rotating the pan after 20 minutes, until the top is beautifully golden. Transfer to a cooling rack, and lightly brush with some of the reserved butter. Place a piece of parchment or foil over the surface, top with another baking pan and press evenly and firmly to compact the layers. Recut the squares, so they'll be easy to lift out. Let sit for 2 to 3 hours before serving (discard or nibble the trimmed edges). Stored tightly covered, the squares will keep at room temperature for about 2 days.

BLACK-AND-WHITE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds, and heat to 350 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with cupcake papers, or grease the tins.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Working with a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the whole eggs and the yolk one at a time, mixing well after each goes in. Beat in the vanilla.
• On low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in three additions and the buttermilk in two, scraping the bowl, as needed, and beating until the batter is smooth. Mix in the chips.
• Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake for 20-22 minutes - rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back after 10 minutes - or until the tops feel springy to the touch (they won't color much) and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool to room temperature. Frost, and cover with sprinkles, if you'd like, before the frosting dries.
• Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, and fit it into a saucepan of simmering water - don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat, whisk in the sugar and let rest on the counter for 3 minutes. Bit by bit, whisk in the cold butter, mixing until smooth and thickened just enough to spread. Use immediately.

HALVAH MILLE-FEUILLES

Steps:

• Bake the phyllo:
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Stack the 8 sheets of phyllo and cut in half crosswise. Brush 1 half sheet of phyllo with oil and sprinkle with sugar. Layer another half sheet on top of the first and repeat with oil and sugar to form a stack of 4 half sheets, finishing the top layer with oil and sugar. Repeat with remaining half sheets to form 3 more stacks. Cut each of the stacks into 4 equal pieces to make 16 stacks. Transfer stacks to baking sheets and bake until golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
• Make the halvah cream:
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the honey or date syrup with the tahini. If using nondairy whipped topping, place in a large bowl and gently fold in the honey-tahini mixture. If using cream, beat until soft peaks form. Gently incorporate the honey-tahini mixture and whip to stiff peaks. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Assemble the dessert:
• Place one phyllo stack on a dessert plate. Spread with a scant 1/4 cup halvah cream. Repeat with 3 more phyllo stacks and 2 more layers halvah cream. Repeat this process to form 3 more servings. Drizzle each stack with honey or date syrup, sprinkle with halvah crumbles, and garnish with raspberries.