Halvah
By: Helen Pitlick
Published: Friday, December 10, 2010 - 1:02am

Ingredients




1 cup cream
1 cup water
 cup tahini
1 cup cream of rice or farina
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter or sesame oil
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup hot water

Preparation

1 In a medium sized heavy bottomed saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat the sugar, cream and water. Boil 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 2 Cut into squares and store in an airtight plastic storage box or wrap in platic. 3 Meanwhile in a large pan, melt butter (or add oil) and stir in the semolina and sesame seeds. 4 Continue cooking on medium heat for 15 minutes, scraping the the pan so that the dry ingredients won't scorch. 5 Stir in the tahini as the mixture begins to thicken, working out any lumps until the mixture is smooth. 6 Gradually add to the dry ingredients combining well and adding as much as 1/2 cup of water. 7 Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. 8 Turn out onto a marble slab or other flat surface and whem the halvah is cool enough to handle, knead several minutes. 9 Put the halvah into an 8 inch square pan that has the bottom lined with a square of wax or parchment paper and smooth over the top with the back of a spoon. 10 Allow to rest 20 minutes, loosen from the sides of the pan using a knife, and turn out.

About


Halvah is a confection popular in the Middle East, Eastern and Southern Europe, and the Indian subcontinent.