Halvah Shortbread

Ingredients:
3/4 c. Butter; softened
1/2 c. Tahini
1 pinch Salt
1 1/4 c. Brown sugar
2 c. Unbleached pastry flour
1/2 c. Toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped or ground
A few pecan or walnut halves

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
With a food processor or by hand, cream the butter with the tahini.
Add the salt and brown sugar. Blend until smooth.
Sprinkle in the flour, blending well. Mix in the chopped nuts.
The dough will be very stiff.
Lightly butter two 7-inch pie plates
or shallow baking pans.
Press the dough to evenly cover the bottom and sides
of the pie plates to a thickness of no more than 1/4-inch.
Press a few whole nuts into the surface to decorate.
Bake the shortbread for 15 minutes and then check it frequently,
every couple of minutes, and remove it from the oven
as soon as the edges are golden brown.
Be careful not to over bake it. While it's still warm,
cut each shortbread into 8 or 10 wedges in the pan;
don't wait until it's cool or it will crumble.