Greek cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Halvas Simigdalenios

Semolina toasted in olive oil, cooked with cinnamon syrup and almonds, and turned out firm from the mold.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 200 ml olive oil
• 400 g semolina
• 600 g sugar
• 800 ml water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 100 g almonds
• 1 organic lemon
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Bring the sugar, water, cinnamon stick, cloves, and a wide strip of zest from the organic lemon to a boil, boil vigorously for 5 min., then fish out the spices.
2. Roughly chop the almonds and toast them in a dry pan for 4–5 min. until golden brown and fragrant.
3. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot, stir in the semolina, and toast over medium heat for 8–10 min., stirring constantly, until it smells nutty and turns light brown.
4. Pour in the hot syrup in small batches while stirring vigorously – the mixture spatters a lot at first and thickens immediately after each addition.
5. Stir in the almonds and keep stirring the mixture over low heat for 3–4 min., until it pulls away from the bottom of the pot as a compact mass.
6. Press it immediately into a mold rinsed with cold water, let it set for 2 hours, turn it out onto a plate, and dust with the ground cinnamon.