Semolina Halva

İrmik is the word for Semolina in Turkish. It's made of Durum wheat. Semolina which is yellow in color and thinner than bulgur is mainly used in desserts.  Halvah is the most popular one.  It is a traditional pudding like cake made with semolina, almonds, butter, orange/lemon and vanilla drenched in a simply syrup sauce.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of semolina
• 1,5 cups of sugar
• 1,5 cups of milk
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of orange juice
• 3-4 tbs of pine nuts/ blanched almonds/
• 2 cups of butter
• zest of 1 orange/lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla

How To:

Mix the sugar, orange juice and water, add it to the milk. Stir. Place on high heat and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium-high heat and simmer until sugar has dissolved, about 6 minutes.

Melt butter in a heavy-based saucepan on medium heat. Add the pine nuts/blanched almonds and the semolina and stir constantly  with a wooden spatula until the color changes from a golden blonde to a golden brown. This may take 20-30 minutes.

Carefully, pour the syrup over the semolina (hot syrup will steam and splatter so be careful) and stir until well blended. The mixture starts to thicken and come away from the sides of the saucepan.Then turn the heat off and leave it for brewing.
    
Pour into a mould or glass bowl and cover until warm and set. (The steam will help release the cake from the mould.) Then turn onto a cake plate and serve. Garnish with candied oranges.

Bon Apetit!

 

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