Ottoman Halva
Delicious confectionaries that have a slight nuttiness and aren’t too sweet, with a texture akin to cookie dough
City/Region: Ottoman Empire
Time Period: 1844
This recipe is from the 19th century, though Ottoman soldiers had been making warrior’s halva since at least the 15th century, and likely for quite a while before that. They would make and eat this halva after a great battle, sitting in a circle and saying prayers for the soldiers who had died.
This halva is unlike anything I’ve had before, with a slight nuttiness and just the right amount of sweetness, and has the texture of cookie dough, which I love. Unlike the original warrior’s halva, this recipe requires no great battles, just five ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen and about an hour or so of your time.
“Put a pound of fresh butter in a very clean stewpan, put it on a charcoal fire, scald it, then take it off. When it gets a little cold, add by degrees a pound and a half of the best flour, set it again on the fire, and keep stirring until the flour becomes a gold color, then take it off; immediately pour two pints of boiling syrup over, which you have previously prepared of honey or loaf sugar and water as in No. 149, and a pint of boiling milk; put the cover over, and let it remain for five minutes or so; then stir it well with a wooden fork; dish up in tablespoons; and let it bear the impression of the spoon; shake some white sugar over, and serve.”
Ingredients:
- 2 sticks (225 g) butter
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) flour
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (225 g) sugar
- 2 1/3 cups (560 ml) water
- Scant 1 1/4 cups (285 ml) milk
Instructions:
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Slowly bring it to a simmer and let it simmer gently for a minute, stirring if necessary so that it doesn’t smoke and boil (it will become bitter if it does).
- Turn off the heat, and after a minute, add the flour in thirds, stirring to incorporate each portion before adding the next. The mixture may seem too dry at first, but when we reheat it, it will all come together, I promise.
- Cook over low heat, and don’t be tempted to raise the temperature because it’ll burn easily. You’re looking for the mixture to turn a light golden brown and have a wonderful nutty aroma. This will take 25 minutes to an hour, stirring frequently. The texture will change quite a bit from liquidy to firm and back and forth. Take it off the heat when it’s done.
- While the flour/butter mixture cooks, start the syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan, then set it over medium heat and bring it to a simmer to dissolve the sugar, then keep it at a low simmer.
- When the flour/butter mixture is about 5 minutes from being done, heat the milk in a saucepan. You want it to boil when right when you add it to the rest of the ingredients.
- Carefully pour the hot sugar syrup into the flour/butter, stirring constantly. Be careful, it’ll splatter!
- Add the boiling milk, again stirring constantly. The mixture will darken and start to solidify. After everything is mixed together, put the lid on the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Shape the halva by using two spoons to make a quenelle (a sort of 3-sided oval). This takes some practice, so you can also shape them however you like.
- Wait for the halva to cool a bit so that they hold their shape. Sprinkle them with sugar, and serve them forth.