Η συνταγή και στα ελληνικά στο τέλος της ανάρτησης!
Halvà is a sweet that is eaten from Mediterranean Sea to India in several variations and textures. In Greece we have three different types of halvà. The first and most common one is halvà with semolina. This one is made very easily at home. The second one is halvà with tahini, the recipe of which I am giving you today and it is eaten mostly during Lent periods. Most of the people buy it from specialty stores or supermarkets and eat it with bread. The third type is called Sapouné halva, it is made with butter and looks like a transparent brown soap. This last one is made in a city called Farsala on the mainland Greece and the residents of this place claim that its great taste is due to the local water.
I have been wanting to make tahini halvà for some time now, but I was reluctant. I have a friend Nectaria, who used to have a pastry shop. Now, she is a stay at home mom and she gave me a recipe to try. Also, she made some at her home and I watched how she did it. It is ridiculously easy to make and I felt stupid I haven’t tried it so far.
So, yesterday that my day was somewhat more relaxed, I went ahead and I made a small portion and it was so easy and so tasty that I decided to never again buy it from the store.
Normally the mixing is done by hand wearing a very thick silicone hand, so as not to be burnt by the hot caramel. I don’t have such a glove and neither does my friend Nectaria, so we let the mixer do all the hard work. I am sure that kneading it by hand makes it even closer to the store bought texture-wise, but I think that this one is also great.
Home-made Halvà with Tahini
Ingredients
300 gr./11 oz. tahini
100 gr.4 oz. sugar
70 gr./2.5 oz. honey
1 vanillin or ½ tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup almonds, blanched
Instructions
Pour the tahini in your mixer bowl and put the paddle.
Preheat oven to 175° C/ 350° F.
Place the almonds in tray and put them in the oven for about five minutes.
Be careful and don’t leave the oven unattended because they are burnt very easily. Trust me on that, experience talks.
Remove from the oven and put aside.
In a medium pot add the sugar on medium heat.
When it starts to boil remove immediately and add the honey.
Whisk to incorporate.
Turn on the mixer to second gear and start pouring little by little the caramelized sugar.
You will see that as you pour the caramel the tahini starts to thicken and gather around the paddle. Whisk for a minute and it is done.
Put it in a glass or metal mold and let it rest and cool for about two hours.
Serve with sprinkled cinnamon.
- 300 gr./11 oz. tahini
- 100 gr.4 oz. sugar
- 70 gr./2.5 oz. honey
- 1 vanillin or ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup almonds, blanched
- Pour the tahini in your mixer bowl and put the paddle.
- Preheat oven to 175° C/ 350° F.
- Place the almonds in tray and put them in the oven for about five minutes.
- Be careful and don’t leave the oven unattended because they are burnt very easily. Trust me on that, experience talks.
- Remove from the oven and put aside.
- In a medium pot add the sugar on medium heat.
- When it starts to boil remove immediately and add the honey.
- Whisk to incorporate.
- Turn on the mixer to second gear and start pouring little by little the caramelized sugar.
- You will see that as you pour the caramel the tahini starts to thicken and gather around the paddle. Whisk for a minute and it is done.
- Put it in a glass or metal mold and let it rest and cool for about two hours.
- Serve with sprinkled cinnamon.
- 300 γρ. ταχίνι
- 100 γρ. ζάχαρη
- 70 γρ. μέλι
- 1 βανιλλίνη ή ½ κ.γ. εκχύλισμα βανίλιας
- ⅓ φλ. αμύγδαλα, καθαρισμένα
- Ρίξτε το ταχίνι στο μπολ του μίξερ σας και βάλτε το κάπα.
- Προθερμάνετε το φούρνο στους 175° C.
- Τοποθετήστε τα αμύγδαλα σε ένα ταψί και βάλτε το στο φούρνο για περίπου πέντε λεπτά.
- Να είστε προσεκτικοί και να μην αφήσετε το φούρνο χωρίς παρακολούθηση, επειδή καίγονται πολύ εύκολα.
- Βγάλτε τα από το φούρνο και βάλτε τα στην άκρη.
- Σε μια μέτρια κατσαρόλα προσθέστε τη ζάχαρη σε μέτρια φωτιά.
- Όταν αρχίσει να βράζει, βγάλτε τη αμέσως από τη φωτιά και προσθέστε το μέλι.
- Ανακατέψτε να ενσωματωθούν.
- Βάλτε μπρος το μίξερ στη δεύτερη ταχύτητα και αρχίστε να ρίχνετε σιγά-σιγά την καραμελοποιημένη ζάχαρη.
- Θα δείτε ότι, όπως εσείς ρίχνετε την καραμέλα, το ταχίνι αρχίζει να σφίγγει και να συγκεντρώνεται γύρω από το κάπα. Χτυπήστε για ένα λεπτό, και είναι έτοιμος.
- Βάλτε σε μπολ ή σε ένα καλούπι για να πάρει τη φόρμα του και αφήστε το να κρυώσει για περίπου δύο ώρες.
- Σερβίρετε με κανέλα.
