Ingredients:

150 g almond slivers

3/4 cup sunflower oil

1 cup semolina, coarse

1 cup semolina, fine

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

3 cups granulated sugar

4 cups water

orange zest, of 3 oranges

Execution:

Preheat the oven to 180° C (356° F) and set it to fan.

Toast the almond slivers in a shallow baking pan lined with parchment paper for 5-8 minutes.

In a non-stick pot sauté the vegetable oil with fine and coarse semolina, over medium-low heat.

Stir the mixture continuously for about 4-5 minutes, until the semolina becomes golden brown. Do not rush this process since semolina gets burnt easily.

Add brown sugar, water, orange zest, cinnamon, and cloves when ready.

Stir for another 10 minutes until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. You will know it is ready when it starts pulling away from the pan’s bottom.

Add the almonds and stir.

Transfer the mixture into a 22-cm halva mold and press it into the pan to give your halva a nice shape. You can gently hit the cake pan on a hard surface to ensure the mixture settles, no gaps are left.

Turn it out after 5 minutes.

Halva can be eaten warm or cold. Serve it with strained Greek yogurt or ice cream, and sprinkle some cinnamon, orange zest, and mint leaves.

Note: I always let my halva cool down completely before turning it out.

Note: I made halva according to my liking so I didn’t add almond slivers and orange zest but if you like them, you can include them.

Note: Apart from almond slivers, you can add raisins or pistachios, or both! I believe that halva is a rather versatile dessert so you can always make it to your liking without missing out on its awesome flavor.

Note: I used a cake mold instead of an halva mold. I don’t think that the mold matters that much.

Reference

Enjoy!