Maison Aleph’s Sesame-Halvah 1,001 Feuilles
This sweet straddles East and West. Its name plays on French mille-feuille (mille-feuille means 1,000 leaves), but its structure follows the lines of Middle Eastern baklava. It’s got layers of buttered and sugared phyllo dough and a filling made with tahini and vanilla halvah. The mixture is similar to frangipane, but not like any I’ve ever tasted — it’s completely original and wonderfully good. A word on the phyllo: If the sheets are smaller than 12-by-17-inches, don’t worry — the dessert will bake the same way, but the middle layer will be slightly thicker and the yield will be less. For the most delicious pastry, use clarified butter: Bring the butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Lower the heat and simmer until most of the solids fall to the bottom of the pan; the bubbling will have subsided. Slowly pour the butter through a coffee filter or a strainer lined with cheesecloth; discard the solids and reserve the liquid. You can make the butter weeks ahead and keep it refrigerated.
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