When I was rolling my Raw Vegan Oat Flax Cookies in sesame seeds a few days ago, I spied a recipe for Sesame Balls on the back of my Arrowhead Mills Sesame Seed package that looked worthy of trying. Sesame seeds are an excellent source of calcium and iron and, according to the package nutrition facts, they contain 7 grams of omega-6, 4 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein per serving. They are supposed to be balls, but I wanted to go for a walk and I got impatient waiting for my candy thermometer to register 236 degrees, which is soft ball stage. It reached 232 degrees and I plopped the scoops onto parchment paper then into the fridge they went. You don't stir the mixture while it's cooking, so it's really no trouble at all just checking the temperature now and again but, like I said... I wanted to go for a walk. The mixture did thicken, but not enough to retain a ball shape however...
After leaving them in the fridge overnight, I was able to roll them into balls that retained their intended spherical shape making a perfectly nutritious snack while studying. The recipe is so simple and they taste like your favorite candy bar, so give it a whirl and let the thermometer climb all the way to the soft ball point.
Sesame Balls
1/3 cup light cream
2/3 cup honey (I reduced it to 1/3 cup and it was the perfect sweetness.)
1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
1 tbsp oil (optional… I didn’t add.)
¼ cup finely chopped nuts (I used walnuts.)
1 cup unhulled sesame seeds
Stir and heat cream, honey, molasses, and oil (if using) in saucepan until mixture reaches soft ball stage on a candy thermometer. Alternatively, you can test it by dropping a wee bit of mixture into cold water. It should form a soft ball. Remove from heat. Add nuts and seeds. Beat until thick. (Place saucepan in fridge to speed the thickening.) Drop by tablespoon onto lightly oiled platter or parchment paper. Chill. When cool, roll into balls. Keep cool until ready to serve.