This sweet and crumbly confection is packed with nutty tahini, dried apricots, rich maple syrup, and fruity sumac.

Ingreadients:

• 2 cups pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups tahini (such as Soom, Al Arz, or Har Bracha), at room temperature
• 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped raw pistachios, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon ground sumac, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, divided
• Cooking spray

Direction

1. Line a 4 1/2- x 8 1/2-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides. Set aside. Bring maple syrup, lemon zest, and vanilla to a boil in a small saucepan over medium. Boil, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer registers 240°F to 245°F (soft-ball stage), 10 to 12 minutes.
2. While maple syrup mixture boils, place tahini in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; set aside. Combine apricots, 1/4 cup pistachios, 1/4 teaspoon sumac, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Beat tahini on medium-low speed while slowly drizzling in hot maple syrup mixture until mixture thickens and becomes creamy and smooth, like creamy peanut butter, about 1 minute. Add apricot mixture to tahini mixture; beat until just combined, about 10 seconds. Working quickly and using a rubber spatula lightly coated with cooking spray, transfer tahini mixture to prepared loaf pan. Using spatula, carefully smooth top. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon pistachios, remaining 1/2 teaspoon sumac, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let stand, uncovered, until completely cooled and firm to the touch, about 3 hours.
4. Using parchment overhang as handles, carefully remove halvah from loaf pan, and discard parchment paper. Transfer halvah to a cutting board; cut evenly into 8 (about 1-inch-thick) slices. Cut each halvah slice crosswise into 3 pieces.