I will preface this by saying that this is quite possibly my
favourite Greek dessert, and one that I make on a regular basis.
In Greece, there are a few Halva products/cakes and they are
all quite different. I have made the semolina based Halva, Χαλβάς
σιμιγδαλένιος, but there is also the Sesame/Tahini Halva, Χαλβάς με ταχίνι (if
you live in Greece or have access to a Greek market, this is mostly sold during
periods of fasting i.e. before Easter), and a flour based Halva, Χαλβάς
κουταλιού.
When my sister and I were
children and would visit my grandmother’s sister in Lefkada, she would always
offer us this dessert; in fact, because it uses simple ingredients (oil, flour,
sugar and water) it is one of the most common desserts found in traditional
homes.
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| these are not my own pics-they are taken from Google images |
To the dismay of my mom and everyone else I know who always
use the traditional 1:2:3:4 method, this recipe does not follow that AT ALL. If
you aren’t familiar with the traditional method, or you haven’t got a clue what
I’m talking about, I’ll summarise: traditionally, semolina halva is made with 1
part oil, 2 parts semolina, 3 parts sugar, and 4 parts water.
As you will see, the recipe (which was given to me by my Aunt) varies: it uses milk instead of
water, because it gives the cake more taste and it makes it αφράτο,
and the measurements do not follow the simple ratio. Nevertheless, I think this version of halva is tastier, and I’ve never had anyone say otherwise.
By the way, if you are fasting from dairy, just substitute the milk for water. And if you prefer butter to vegetable oil, use that instead.
