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Loading...A beloved Turkish comfort dessert made by toasting coarse semolina in butter until deeply golden, then simmering it with milk and sugar into a tender, pudding-like halva. Served warm in small scoops, often crowned with toasted pine nuts and a dusting of cinnamon.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time35 mins
Servings6
Yield6 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 525 kcalCalories
- 22 gFat
- 12 gSaturated Fat
- 74 gCarbs
- 2 gFiber
- 42 gSugar
- 13 gProtein
- 150 mgSodium
- 320 mgPotassium
- 260 mgCalcium
- 4 mgIron
- 2 mgVitamin C
- 210 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the halva
- 1 1/4 cups (about 200 g) coarse semolina
- 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 3 1/2 cups (about 840 ml) whole milk
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
For serving
- Ground cinnamon, for dusting
- Extra toasted pine nuts
- Optional: vanilla ice cream or clotted cream
Directions
- Melt the butter in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the pine nuts and stir for about 1 minute until they smell toasty and turn light golden, then spoon them out and set aside.
- Add the semolina and salt to the same pot with the remaining butter. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 10 to 12 minutes, scraping the bottom, until the semolina turns a deep golden brown and smells nutty; lower the heat if it darkens too fast.
- Meanwhile, warm the milk with the sugar in a separate saucepan over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves; keep it just below a simmer.
- Pour the hot milk mixture slowly into the toasted semolina in a thin stream, stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Keep the heat at medium-low and stir for 4 to 6 minutes as the mixture thickens into a soft, spoonable paste.
- Stir the reserved pine nuts back into the halva, cover the pot, and turn off the heat. Let it rest off the heat for 5 minutes so the grains absorb the milk fully.
- Spoon the halva into small bowls or shape into rounds with a dessert cup dipped in cold water, pressing gently to compact.
- Dust generously with cinnamon, scatter extra pine nuts on top, and serve warm. Offer a small scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside if desired.
Cook’s Notes
- Use coarse semolina (not the fine farina type) for the classic chewy-yet-tender texture.
- Toast the semolina patiently on medium-low; rushing on high heat burns the butter before the grains cook through.
- In Turkey, semolina halva is often served at funerals, engagements, and cold winter nights, traditionally eaten one spoonful at a time to keep warm.
- For a richer version, replace 1 cup of the milk with 1 cup of heavy cream.
- Wet a spoon or your hands with cold water when shaping portions to keep the sticky halva from clinging.
- Halva thickens as it cools; add a splash of warm milk and stir when reheating leftovers to restore a creamy consistency.
