Chocolate Halvah Twists

Although I was a bit skeptical about the flavoring of these twists (I love halva, but not everyone does), I gave this a go and was happily surprised! Besides the subtle halva taste, the chocolate definitely stood out, and the combo had me noshing on it more than I care to tell. This treat is easy, tasty, and pretty — plus a nice change from the same old, same old! Yields 3 and 1/2 to 4 dozen twists

Directions

Prepare the Chocolate Halvah Twists

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).

2. Combine halvah spread with melted chocolate and vanilla sugar. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry dough into a large rectangle. Smear with spread, going edge to edge. Sprinkle with half the mini chocolate chips, if desired.

3. Slice into long strips (about one inch/two and a half centimeters wide), then cut the strips across the middle horizontally so they’re shorter and doubled.

4. Line baking sheets with Gefen Parchment Paper. Working with one strip of dough at a time, twist the strip a few times and place onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining sheet of puff pastry dough.

5. Spray twists with cooking spray and top with one or all of your choice of toppings. For the sesame seed topping, combine sesame seeds with vanilla sugar in a small frying pan and toast, stirring until sugar has melted and seeds begin to clump together. Sprinkle vanilla seeds or halvah crumbs over twists before baking; drizzle with chocolate once twists have baked and cooled.