HALVA 5 WAYS
The best thing about this classic sesame-based confection (aside from the fact that it's so delicious) is how easy it is to make at home. The base recipe can be varied to your heart's content. Try our suggestions here, then make up your own flavors. Be sure to start with a high-quality tahini, stir it well, and bring to room temperature before you start.
Provided by Mindy Fox
Categories Sesame Dessert Vanilla Dairy Free Peanut Free Freeze/Chill Pistachio Chocolate Lemon Poppy
Yield Makes about 1 lb.
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Line an 8x8" baking pan or a 9x4" loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2" overhang on 2 sides. Using a wooden spoon, mix tahini, salt, and vanilla in a medium heatproof bowl.
- Pour 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan, then stir in sugar. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan.
- Bring sugar to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally to help sugar dissolve, until thermometer registers 250°F. Immediately remove syrup from heat. Gradually stream syrup into tahini mixture, mixing tahini constantly with wooden spoon. Continue to stir just until halva comes together in a smooth mass and starts to pull away from sides of bowl (less than a minute). Be careful not to overmix or halva will be crumbly.
- Working quickly, scrape halva into prepared pan, pushing toward edges; smooth top. Let cool to room temperature, then cover tightly with plastic and chill at least 2 hours. Remove from pan using parchment overhang. Slice as desired to serve.
- Do Ahead: Halva can be made 3 weeks ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.
- For Pistachio-Rose Halva
- Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 300°F. Spread 1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast until fragrant and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer nuts to a plate. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
- Prepare halva, adding half of the chopped pistachios and 1/4 tsp. rosewater to the tahini, salt, and vanilla mixture.
- Stir sugar syrup into tahini mixture and form halva as directed. Sprinkle remaining nuts over, pressing gently to adhere. Cover and chill as directed.
- For Cardamom-Chocolate Halva:
- Prepare halva, adding 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom to the tahini, salt, and vanilla mixture.
- Stir sugar syrup into tahini mixture, then quickly stir in 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate just to combine (you want to see streaks of chocolate). Form halva as directed. Sprinkle 1/4 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate over, pressing gently to adhere. Cover and chill as directed.
- For Lemon-Poppy Seed Halva:
- Prepare halva, adding 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds to the tahini, salt, and vanilla mixture.
- Add 1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest to water in saucepan before making the sugar syrup, then prepare syrup as directed.
- Form halva as directed. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds over, pressing very gently just to adhere. Cover and chill as directed.
- For Chocolate-Za'atar Halvah:
- Prepare halva, adding 1/2 tsp. za'atar to the tahini, salt, and vanilla mixture.
- Stir sugar syrup into tahini mixture as directed, then quickly stir in 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate just to combine (you want to see streaks of chocolate). Form halva as directed. Sprinkle 1/4 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate over, pressing gently to adhere. Cover and chill as directed.
HALVA (A GREEK SWEET USING SEMOLINA)
Make and share this Halva (A Greek Sweet Using Semolina) recipe from Food.com.
Provided by evelynathens
Categories Dessert
Time 20m
Yield 15-18 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Dissolve the sugar in the water and milk and bring it to a bare simmer.
- Boil for 5 minutes and remove from heat.
- At the same time, brown the semolina in the oil on medium-high heat, stirring continuously.
- This should take 4-5 minutes. Add the nutmeats for the last 2-3 minutes to toast them slightly.
- When the semolina has taken a golden brown colour, add the syrup to it (taking care not to burn your hands, as this bubbles and steams up excessively- be prepared!), turn down the heat and keep stirring until you get a kind of thick porridge. Continue cooking until the mixture is very thick and pulls away from the sides of the pan as you stir.
- Spoon into a buttered or oiled bundt pan and pack down with the back of a spoon. Let it cool. (I use a silicone bundt pan for this - eliminates the need to grease, and my halvah comes out in a pretty pattern).
- Unmold onto a platter and sprinkle with more walnuts, toasted sesame (optional) and cinnamon.
- You should not put this dessert in the refrigerator.
- It can keep for a few days outside the refrigerator, assuming you can gather enough will power not to eat it all at once.
- Some oil may start to drain off after a day or so, but this is to be expected, just dab it away with some kitchen paper.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 382.5, Fat 20.9, SaturatedFat 3.2, Cholesterol 4.5, Sodium 17.2, Carbohydrate 45.5, Fiber 1.4, Sugar 26.9, Protein 5.1
GREEK HALVA - A DIFFERENT VERSION
Steps:
- Place in a heavy pot the water, the zest, the sugar and the olive oil. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat when the bubbles start. Add the semolina and mix well with a wooden spoon. The mixture should be thick. Pour half of the semolina mixture into a pudding mold. Stir the cocoa into the rest half of it, mixing well. Place the cocoa mixture on top of the white semolina mixture. Let it cool for 2-3 hours at room temperature before serving. Enjoy it.
GREEK HALVA
The traditional semolina based Greek halva recipe is often referred as "1:2:3:4″, as it calls for one unit oil, two semolina, three sugar and four water. So simple! If you haven't tried semolina Greek halva before, you will be surprised by the delicious taste of those 4 humble ingredients, when combined.. When preparing a Greek halva recipe, the semolina is firstly toasted in oil, bringing an irresistible smell and then soaked in hot syrup, with the aromas and blends of cinnamon and clove. Simply delicious! So if you are looking for a delicious no-dairy, no-butter and egg-free dessert, that's the one!
Provided by roshanesilva0801
Time 20m
Yield Makes 1 cake
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a pot, add the 4 cups of water, 8 cups sugar, 8 cinnamon stick, 8 cloves, and bring to boil for 5 minutes, turn off the heat and add the honey.
- In a deep pot, on medium to high heat add the extra virgin olive oil and 2 cups of semolina. Constantly stir with a wooden spatula until the color changes from a golden blonde to a golden brown.
- Once the color changes add the 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon. Stir.
- Very carefully, slowly add small amounts of the simple syrup to the semolina (the hot syrup will steam and splatter so be careful).
- On a medium-low heat, continually stir until the mixture thickens. Add the almonds and stir.
- Transfer to a cake pan and let it cool. Turn over onto a cake platter and dust with cinnamon.
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