Greek Semolina Halwa

A delicious, popular and yet traditional Greek sweet that is made with olive oil, sugar and semolina. No milk, eggs or any butter are added and because of the nuts that it contains, it is very nutritious.

The Ingredients

1 cup olive oil - extra virgin Greek olive oil preffered
2 cups semolina - coarse grain preffered
1 cup blanched almonds or un-shelled walnuts cut in pieces
100g pine seeds

For the syrup

2 ½ cups sugar or 1 ½ cup sugar and 1 cup honey
4 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
2 cardamom pods
Lemon or orange rind 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. Place the syrup ingredients in a small pot, put on fire and bring to boil for a couple of minutes. Remove cinnamon, cloves, cardamon and rind and set aside but keep warm.

2. In a large pot add the oil and when hot, pour in the semolina. Reduce the heat to medium and using a wooden spoon stir constantly, until turns golden brown.

3. Remove the pot from the fire and pour the syrup into the very hot semolina very carefully. (Stay clear from the pot, when you do that).

4. Then, put the pot on fire again and stir well, until the halwa starts to thicken and does not stick on the sides of the pot. Now add the nuts and mix well.

5. Pour the halwa into a cake pan shape it and let cool. Turn it over on a serving plate and dust with ground cinnamon or almonds.

Alternativelly, you may shape in small individual servings using small cake forms.
Enjoy!