How to make Halva from Semechki.

[DetlefK]

Roast sunflower-seeds. Let cool. Blend, blend, blend until it's a paste. Add a pinch of salt.

Take double the amount of sugar. Put in pot. Add just enough water to dissolve it. Boil until you get a syrup.

Little by little, stir the syrup into the paste. The paste turns into crumbs. The more sugar, the harder your final product.

Compress crumbs into a container for storage. Move quickly: When it's cold, everything turns solid.

(This is the rustic russian version. The oriental version uses sesame-seeds and spices and is more refined.)





You know what's a great dessert?

Take a big bowl of greek yoghurt, pour some honey over it, sprinkle with chopped dried dates, chopped nuts, Halva-crumbs and cookie-crumbs.

[Ninga]

1. Absolutely fantastic! Thanks for posting.

[Paladin]

2. I do love halva; wish it were easier to find at local stores.

I was introduced to it by Arabic neighbors when I was a kid.

Might end up making a batch---who knows?