Candied Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup white and black sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 24 firm ripe cherry tomatoes, stems removed

Directions

1. Set parchment on a rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, stir together the sesame seeds and salt, then keep that nearby.
2. Attach a candy thermometer to a deep 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Add the sugar and balsamic vinegar, then bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, giving the pan an occasional swirl, until the sugar has melted.
3. Mix in the corn syrup. Cook the syrup until the thermometer reads 305 degrees, the hard-crack stage, using a damp pastry brush to wash down the inside of the pan so crystals don’t form. Adjust the burner if the bubbling gets too enthusiastic and threatens to spill over. Take the pan off the heat.
4. Insert a toothpick into the stem end of a tomato. Dip the tomato into the hot syrup so the coating reaches just past the middle, then carefully spin it above the pan to shed the extra syrup. Right away, press the lower half into the sesame mixture and place it, seed side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Continue with the rest of the tomatoes, warming the syrup over low heat whenever it needs loosening.
5. Cool at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.