There is halva made from tahini and there is halva made from semolina. Which do I prefer? Very, very hard for me to say. I love both so much. The first one is hard and more candy-like, the second one is dense and bread pudding-like.
I’m sharing with you the semolina halwa today. Butter is warmed up until bubbly. Semolina is then toasted in it until golden. Honey-sweetened hot milk is stirred in and the mixture is left to thicken.
The result is a delightful, rose-scented, purely Levantine delicacy that can be served with all kinds of delicious toppings. I like it slightly warm with fruit and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
HALVA RECIPE
YIELD: 6 SERVINGS
TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES
Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups milk
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon rosewater or orange blossom water
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons clarified butter
1 cup semolina
For serving:
Chopped nuts
Fresh or poached fruit
Vanilla ice cream
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat up the milk, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt over medium heat until almost boiling. Lower the heat to low to keep the milk warm.
Meanwhile, melt the clarified butter in a medium/large saucepan over low heat. Toast the semolina, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
Carefully add the warm milk mixture (keep your face away as there will be a lot of splattering) and stir well. Let the mixture thicken for 5 to 10 minutes.
Spoon the helva into serving bowls. Serve slightly warm with a scoop of ice cream, chopped nuts and fruit.
