Every year from a young age, I remember, the most magical on Christmas days were the smells from mom’s kitchen that made the whole house musk. We also start our recipes early to make sure everything is ready. The recipe of the day is semolina halva. The secret of the recipe to come out terribly spicy and delicious, is to always use honey in the syrup.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups thick semolina
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup of Toplou Pine honey
- 4 cups water
- 1 orange (the zest)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
Execution:
In a large deep saucepan pour the olive oil and over medium heat heat it without burning it.
Add the semolina and sauté for a while until cooked through, but do not let it burn. The kitchen temperature should always be moderate so as not to darken the semolina.
At the same time, in another pot, heat all the liquid ingredients with the spices to make the syrup. Stir until all the ingredients are combined and until they reach boiling point.
When the semolina is ready and roasted, a process that will take about 15-20 minutes, we start pouring the syrup into the pot with the semolina, stirring constantly.
The procedure should be done very carefully because the hot syrup will splash on you. So we pour the syrup with a large ladle.
Mix the halva well with the wooden spoon and as soon as it seems to have absorbed the liquid we have added and the mixture comes off the pot then it is ready.
Using a ladle, transfer the mixture to a cake tin and allow to cool. After an hour, turn the form over on a plate.
Serve the halva with extra honey and cinnamon on top as well as the nuts you like.
If you are in a hurry, serve the halva with the tablespoon on the large platter or in bowls.
Enjoy!
