Halva



Halva is a popular dessert in Greece that is traditionally made with semolina. There are a few variations depending on what part of Greece you’re from. Our mother used to make it with olive oil and farina, as semolina was not as easy to find here in the States. There are oven and stove top versions. We did a stove top version here, using butter, farina and a cake mold. You can easily replace the butter with olive or canola oil, or use half and half, and replace the farina with semolina. It’s a quick and easy dessert. Oh… and it’s delicious!


 



One of our favorite Greek-style desserts.

Serves: 4  |  Difficulty: Easy


Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 2 cups farina
  • 1 cup slivered almonds
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups milk
  • sprinkle ground cinnamon

Steps:

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk and water. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes , stirring occasionally to ensure bottom does not burn.

  2. While sugar mixture is cooking, melt butter in a heavy skillet. Add farina and almonds and cook over low heat until lightly brown, stirring occasionally, about 15 to 20 minutes.

  3. When farina is golden brown, slowly stir in hot sugar mixture. Remove from heat. Pour into greased mold (we used canola oil cooking spray). Cover with a dish towel and then cover with a lid or plate. Let sit until well molded, about 30 to 45 minutes.

  4. Flip onto plate, sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.

    *Adjust quantities depending on what pan or mold you use. We used a large cake mold here.