Greek Homemade Halva ©

 

 

 

 

 

This is a delicious recipe and a great favourite during lent. Every home has its own special recipe and it makes a delicious end to a meal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10-12 persons

 

 

 

3/4 hour to prepare

 

 

Ingredients

3 cups of Semolina

1 cup olive oil

3 cups white sugar

6 cups water

1 stick of cinnamon

1/2  cup almonds

Powdered cinnamon

 

 

 

Method

1. Place almonds in saucepan cover with water, bring to the boil and boil for two minutes.

2. Pour almonds into sieve and place in bowl to cool. Once cool enough to handle, using fingers, push almonds out of their skins.

3. Pat almonds dry with kitchen paper.

4. Oil frying pan and roast almonds lightly. Reserve for later. ( You can also add a few ground almonds to Semolina.)

5. Measure out water, into saucepan, add sugar and a stick of cinnamon. Bring to the boil stirring continuously to dissolve sugar. Simmer on a slow simmer for ten minutes.

6. Measure out Semolina into bowl.

7. Rub a few drops of olive oil round the inside of your mould and keep to one side.

8. Place olive oil in large saucepan and add Semolina.

9. Over a medium heat “continuously” stir Semolina, until golden. 5-8 minutes. ( Be careful to keep stirring, or it burns easily and will make the end result bitter.)

10. Once the Semolina is golden in colour, remove from heat and continue to stir for one minute. Most importantly, leave to cool for five minutes, “before” adding “hot syrup”. If you hurry this, when you add the hot syrup, it will splutter and can be dangerous!

11. Stir until the Semolina starts to thicken, this happens quickly. Before it completely thickens and is still a little liquid, pour into Mould. Smooth off the top of your mould with a spatula. Leave to set covering with clingfilm, so that it does not dry out.

12. Before turning out, run a knife around the rim of the mould, 1 cm deep to help turn it out. Place serving plate on top of Mould and turn upside down. With the palm of your hand tap firmly on mould several times, to help Halva drop out.

13. Sprinkle with cinnamon powder and decorate with your roasted almonds!

**** Cook’s Note : Please be very careful to allow golden semolina to cool for five minutes, ‘before’ adding hot syrup, or it will explode and you can get burned!

Oil mould generously and to help halva drop out of your mould, hold plate and mould and give it several sharp taps on a wooden surface. Glass moulds are the easiest, this old fashioned mould I used, gave me quite a lot of trouble! The good thing is that you can smooth the halva back into shape with a knife!

Like most things, once you have made it once, it is much easier to make the next time!