Baked Halva Recipes

HALVA 5 WAYS

Steps:

• Line an 8x8" baking pan or a 9x4" loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2" overhang on 2 sides. Using a wooden spoon, mix tahini, salt, and vanilla in a medium heatproof bowl.
• Pour 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan, then stir in sugar. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan.
• Bring sugar to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally to help sugar dissolve, until thermometer registers 250°F. Immediately remove syrup from heat. Gradually stream syrup into tahini mixture, mixing tahini constantly with wooden spoon. Continue to stir just until halva comes together in a smooth mass and starts to pull away from sides of bowl (less than a minute). Be careful not to overmix or halva will be crumbly.
• Working quickly, scrape halva into prepared pan, pushing toward edges; smooth top. Let cool to room temperature, then cover tightly with plastic and chill at least 2 hours. Remove from pan using parchment overhang. Slice as desired to serve.
• Do Ahead: Halva can be made 3 weeks ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.
• For Pistachio-Rose Halva
• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 300°F. Spread 1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast until fragrant and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer nuts to a plate. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
• Prepare halva, adding half of the chopped pistachios and 1/4 tsp. rosewater to the tahini, salt, and vanilla mixture.
• Stir sugar syrup into tahini mixture and form halva as directed. Sprinkle remaining nuts over, pressing gently to adhere. Cover and chill as directed.
• For Cardamom-Chocolate Halva:
• Prepare halva, adding 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom to the tahini, salt, and vanilla mixture.
• Stir sugar syrup into tahini mixture, then quickly stir in 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate just to combine (you want to see streaks of chocolate). Form halva as directed. Sprinkle 1/4 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate over, pressing gently to adhere. Cover and chill as directed.
• For Lemon-Poppy Seed Halva:
• Prepare halva, adding 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds to the tahini, salt, and vanilla mixture.
• Add 1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest to water in saucepan before making the sugar syrup, then prepare syrup as directed.
• Form halva as directed. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds over, pressing very gently just to adhere. Cover and chill as directed.
• For Chocolate-Za'atar Halvah:
• Prepare halva, adding 1/2 tsp. za'atar to the tahini, salt, and vanilla mixture.
• Stir sugar syrup into tahini mixture as directed, then quickly stir in 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate just to combine (you want to see streaks of chocolate). Form halva as directed. Sprinkle 1/4 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate over, pressing gently to adhere. Cover and chill as directed.

APPLE HALVA LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
• Mix all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Add apple and halva.
• Whisk melted butter, eggs, buttermilk, brown sugar, tahini, and vanilla extract together in another bowl. Fold into the flour mixture.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Tent with foil after 30 minutes to prevent over-browning.
• Cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

BAKED HALVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch cake pan.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Mix in semolina and almonds.
• Combine 1 cup sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating batter briefly between each addition. Stir in lemon zest.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• Combine water, 3 cups sugar, cloves, and cinnamon in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves into a syrup. Pour syrup over cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Let cake cool, about 30 minutes. Cut into squares.

HALVA AND NUTELLA BABKA BUNS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add warm milk, vanilla, and lemon zest to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add eggs; beat on medium for 2 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 5-7 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a 10x5-in. rectangle, about 1/8 in. thick. For each, spread Nutella to within 1/2 in. of edges, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons halva and 1 tablespoon chocolate chips, and roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam and ends to seal., Using a sharp knife, cut each roll lengthwise in half; carefully turn each half cut side up. Loosely twist strips around each other, keeping cut surfaces facing up; pinch ends together to seal. Repeat for remaining buns. Place cut side up on parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°., Bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes. If desired, in a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until sugar is dissolved, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter, stirring until melted. Brush over buns. Serve buns warm.

BAKED APPLES WITH HALVA AND CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 celcius.
• Add the crumbled halva to a small bowl and add the currants, chocolate chips, orange zest and cinnamon.
• Peel and core the apples and rub them lightly with lemon juice to stop them browning as you prepare the recipe.
• Using your fingers gently push the halva filling into the apples making sure you turn them over and fill them from both sides.
• Place the stuffed apples in a small baking dish which fits them well and is not too large.
• Pour the glass of wine into the baking dish and then pour one tablespoon of kirsch liqueur over each apple if you like.
• Break the cinnamon stick into two pieces and add it to the liquid in the baking dish.
• Bake apples for around 40 minutes or until they are soft. Be careful not to burn the halva stuffing. If it browns and puffs up, cover the dish with foil and continue baking until the apples are done.
• Meanwhile prepare the custard. Dissolve the custard powder in 1 cup of milk and add the sugar.
• Add the remaining milk and heat the mixture in a saucepan stirring with a whisk until it thickens. I add a little more milk to my custard at the end when it has thickened so that it reaches the consistency I like.
• Take custard off heat and lightly press cling wrap over it to prevent a skin forming.
• When apples are done, place one on a serving dish and gently pour a little custard over it. It can be served warm or room temperature.

HALWA

Steps:

• Heat 250ml water in a pan until boiling, then stir in the sugar and food colouring, if using.
• Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and discard, then add 3 of the cardamom husks to the pan. Boil for several minutes, then transfer to a heatproof jug or bowl.
• Heat the ghee in the same pan, then add the remaining cardamom husks and the pistachios. Fry for 1 min, then add the semolina. Toast for a few minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Return the hot sugar syrup to the pan, stirring continuously to avoid clumping until all the liquid has been absorbed. The cooked halwa should mould together easily. Scoop out the cardamom husks and serve hot with puris or parathas, if you like.