Χαλβάς με σιμιγδάλι ή ταχίνι;

An introduction to the fascinating taste of halvah should start with a clarification: there are several kinds of halva. We prefer the two that are made with honey: the traditional greek semolina based halvas and the sesami tahini halvah. Find out more about each one before you try the recipes.

The traditional semolina based Greek Halvas 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. The most sophisticated versions however are made with honey instead of sugar and include some crunchy nuts. So if you are looking for a delicious no-dairy, no-butter and egg-free dessert, that’s the one!

Unless you prefer the Sesame tahini halvah, found throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and even into Asia and India. This is perhaps one of the most nutritious whole foods sweets. It is rich in protein, polyunsaturated fats, calcium, iron, magnesium, and plant sterols. Just as importantly for people with a sweet tooth, it’s delicious and can be flavored with chocolate, coffee, vanilla, rosewater or orange oil.You can add pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts or black sesame seeds to add crunch and flavor. In other words, it’s a sweet that is flexible and open to interpretation. This version is quite simple. Make sure you use premium quality honey and tahini.

Below you may find a recipe for each type of halvah in order to chose your favorite. Try them both and enjoy the sweetness!

Semolina Halva
serves 4-6

2 c sugar
3 c water
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 c canola oil
1 c semolina (I used a 50/50 combo of fine & coarse ground; you can use one or the other, or even just supermarket purchased farina)
1/4 c slivered almonds
1/8 c walnuts or additional slivered almonds
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Get a simple syrup started: combine sugar, water and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Lower heat to low-medium and allow to cook until you complete step 2. Make sure that your syrup remains thin! If it’s starting to thicken and you’re not yet done with step 2, remove it from the heat and set aside. It’s better for this to be too thin than too thick.

2. Add oil and semolina to another medium to large sauce pan over high-low heat. Brown the semolina, stirring constantly. This step is very similar to making a rue for gumbo. Be fearless. You don’t want the semolina to burn, but you want it to darken quite a bit. Halfway through this step, about 7-8 minutes through, add the almonds. This step should take a total of about 15 minutes.

3. When you’ve achieved the right color, pour the syrup into the semolina and almond mixture. It will bubble and pop at first. Keep stirring until all of the syrup is combined with the semolina. Turn the heat to low-medium and cook down for about 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently, especially towards the end of cooking. Keep in mind that it’s during this step that you achieve 95% of the dessert’s firmness. You should have something that forms firm peaks and is sliceable at the end of the cooking time.

4. Scoop halva into a 6 cup mini-bundt or any small mold. Immediately cover with a kitchen towel or lid. Set aside until just warm or completely cooled and firm to the touch.

5. In the meantime, pulse walnuts or additional almonds and cinnamon in a food processor until you get a fine chop (see picture above). When ready to serve, remove halva from mold and sprinkle with nut and cinnamon topping.

*Note: This can be served to children under 12 months old. In fact, the consistency, with the exception of the almond pieces, is great for little ones. While the Hungry Baby was given a small taste (or two!), I recommend sharing this with older babies due to the high sugar content.

Sesame Tahini Halvah

2 cups thyme honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups toasted unsalted pistachios or almonds
2 cups tahini (stirred smooth)

PREPARATION

Heat the honey in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 240’ or the “soft ball” stage (syrup dropped into cold water will form a soft, flexible ball). Allow the honey to cool slightly and add the vanilla and nuts. Gently fold in the tahini and stir until the mixture is well blended.
Lightly oil a 6-cup mold, loaf, or cake pan. Pour the mixture into the pan and cool completely.
Wrap the halvah well and refrigerate it for 24-36 hours so the halvah’s characteristic crystallized texture can fully develop.
Cut the halvah while it’s cold, but serve at room temperature. Makes about 2 pounds of sweetmeat.