Zrir

Step 1: Toast 9 oz white sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring constantly, until evenly golden. Tip out onto a plate.

Step 2: Toast 2 ⅞ oz skinned hazelnuts and 2 ⅞ oz blanched almonds in the same pan for 6–8 minutes, until golden right through.

Step 3: While still warm, grind the sesame in a food processor for 4–5 minutes, until it becomes a thick, oily paste. Add the nuts and grind for 2 minutes more, to a fine, moist crumb.

Step 4: Melt 2 ⅞ oz unsalted butter with 7 oz honey in a heavy pan over a low heat until it just bubbles at the edges.

Step 5: Add the sesame-nut paste and stir over a low heat for 3–4 minutes, until it comes together into a shiny mass that pulls away from the pan. A common mistake is cooking it longer, which makes the honey set rock-hard once cold.

Step 6: Stir in 1 tsp rose geranium water or rose water, then spread or mound the zrir on a plate or pack into small bowls. Decorate with 1 oz pistachios and 10 toasted whole almonds. Serve at room temperature; it keeps 2 weeks in a sealed jar.