Halvah

Servings: 12
Ingredients:

3 c  Water
2 c  Granulated sugar
1    Cinnamon stick
3    Whole cloves
1    Lemon (peel only)
1/2 c  Butter
1 c  Coarse semolina or farina
4 tb Pine nuts
2 tb Blanched, chopped almonds
3 tb Whole blanched almonds

Combine the water, sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, and lemon peel (or 1
tablespoon lemon juice) in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for
10 minutes, then cool.

Meanwhile, slowly melt the butter in a heavy saucepan, and cook for
several minutes, without browning. Stirring constantly with a wooden
spoon, slowly add the semolina or farina. Cook over low heat until the
mixture turns a golden chestnut color; do not brown. Add 2 tablespoons of
the pine nuts and chopped almonds and continue cooking 1 more minute.

Remove cinnamon stick, cloves, and peel from the cooled syrup. Gradually
add the syrup to the semolina mixture, stirring with a long-handled wooden
spoon; the mixture will bubble furiously. Cook over the lowest possible
heat until the syrup has been absorbed and the mixture thickens. Remove
from the heat and drape with a clean towel for 10 minutes. Turn into a
mold, spreading with a knife or a spatula. Cool, then reverse onto a
serving platter, sprinkle with cinnamon, and garnish decoratively with the
remaining pine nuts and the whole almonds. Cut into small, diamond-shaped
pieces.

From: ‘The Food of Greece’ by Vilma Liacouras Chantiles. Avenel Books, New
York.

Typed for you by Karen Mintzias

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