Halvas Fourno Food

HALVA (A GREEK SWEET USING SEMOLINA)

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.

HALVAS FOURNO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 12 x 8 cake tin.
• In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the water over high heat. Add the lemon juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
• While the syrup is cooking, cream the butter, sugar and lemon rind with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift together the semolina and flour and then fold into the butter mixture alternately with the milk. Mix in the chopped almonds.
• Spread the mixture in the cake tin and arrange rows of flaked almonds on top.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is golden and shrinks slightly from the sides of the tin.
• Prick the surface with a fine skewer and then pour the cooled syrup over the hot cake.
• When the cake is cool, cut into squares or diamonds.

GREEK HALVAS POLITIKOS

Steps:

• Combine the sugar with water and bring it to a boil.
• At the same time, brown the semolina in the oil on high heat, constantly stirring.
• When the semolina is a golden brown, add the syrup, (be careful here it tends to froth up) turn down heat and keep stirring until you get a kind of thick mixture.
• Poor into mold.
• Unmold into a platter and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

GREEK HALVA

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.