Tahini is full of surprises. Sesame seeds are ground into a paste that is smooth, creamy, and has a delightful nutty taste. Tahini is an essential ingredient in any Levantine kitchen – and nowhere more so than in Lebanon, where it is part of any good mezze spread. These tempting milk chocolate blondies made with Lebanese tahini and salted sesame sugar are both savoury and sweet, like Lebanon itself; an ancient land where city lights reflect in the sea and villages twinkle like stars in the mountains.