Halva (A Greek Sweet Using Semolina)

Ingredients

• 1 cup best quality olive oil (or you can use a combo of 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup corn oil or butter, anything totalling 1 cup)
• 2 cups fine ground semolina
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pine nuts
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups milk

Garnish

• coarsely ground walnuts or pine nuts, toasted
• sesame seed, toasted (optional)
• cinnamon

Directions

1. 1

   Dissolve the sugar in the water and milk and bring it to a bare simmer.

2. 2

   Boil for 5 minutes and remove from heat.

3. 3

   At the same time, brown the semolina in the oil on medium-high heat, stirring continuously.

4. 4

   This should take 4-5 minutes. Add the nutmeats for the last 2-3 minutes to toast them slightly.

5. 5

   When the semolina has taken a golden brown colour, add the syrup to it (taking care not to burn your hands, as this bubbles and steams up excessively- be prepared!), turn down the heat and keep stirring until you get a kind of thick porridge. Continue cooking until the mixture is very thick and pulls away from the sides of the pan as you stir.

6. 6

   Spoon into a buttered or oiled bundt pan and pack down with the back of a spoon. Let it cool. (I use a silicone bundt pan for this - eliminates the need to grease, and my halvah comes out in a pretty pattern).

7. 7

   Unmold onto a platter and sprinkle with more walnuts, toasted sesame (optional) and cinnamon.

8. 8

   You should not put this dessert in the refrigerator.

9. 9

   It can keep for a few days outside the refrigerator, assuming you can gather enough will power not to eat it all at once.

10. 10

    Some oil may start to drain off after a day or so, but this is to be expected, just dab it away with some kitchen paper.