Second recipe with chocolate in a row …. Now I think I’ve exposed myself of spending a chocoholic’s phase, which must be stopped very soon! 🙂 What other recipe to use in order to welcome the Great Lent, rather than a fragrant and delicious halva? Well, today we cook a chocolate halva with nuts, topped with (optionally) chocolate sauce and decorated with wonderful orange spoon sweet from the hands of Xanthi. Because we have to do something to sweeten a bit our everyday life, since, lately, bad news and distress surround us…
Semolina halva is a traditional Greek dessert, cooked usually during the fasting seasons, and especially the Great Lent. Traditionally it does not contain chocolate and hazelnuts. It is usually made with almonds and lots of cinnamon.
This recipe yields 15 servings. Feel free to make half of it, if that seems too much to you. It is important to use a mild in taste olive oil.
- • 450 g. coarse semolina
- • 300 ml soft and mild olive oil
- • 5 dried figs, finely chopped
- • 100 g. hazelnuts
- • 100 g. almonds
- • 230 g. honey (vegans may substitute honey for ½ cup sugar)
- • 435 g. sugar
- • 4 cups water
- • 150 g. chocolate drops
- • 1 stick cinnamon
- • a few drops of vanilla extract
- chocolate sauce (optional)
- • 1 cup (250 ml) vegetable cream
- • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- • 225 g. dark chocolate, in pieces
- • 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- • 1 pinch of salt
- • a few drops of vanilla extract
- •
- • orange spoon sweet, drained well from the syrup (optional)
- Spray the nuts with a tiny amount of olive oil and roast them. Then break the nuts in the mortar, in large pieces.*
- In a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, prepare the syrup, warming the honey, sugar, water and cinnamon. Let it boil, skimming it, for five minutes. Then turn down the heat and keep it at a low boil.
- In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the olive oil and roast the semolina until it gets golden color, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add nuts and mix well.
- Pour (with great care, because it will pop!!) hot syrup to roasted semolina and stir.
- Reduce heat and let it boil for a while until it thickens and unstuck from the pan. Remove from the heat.
- Add the vanilla and figs and mix. Cover with a cleantowel and let the mixture cool.
- Finally, add the chocolate drops. ** Mix.
- Form the halva when it is still a bit lukewarm. Drizzle, if desired, with chocolate sauce and garnish with orange spoon sweet.
- chocolate sauce (optional)
- In a saucepan, over medium heat, heat the coconut oil, salt and vegetable cream, stirring occasionally.
- When warm, add the chocolate and stir constantly until it melts completely.
- Add the syrup and vanilla and stir.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
- Keep the chocolate sauce in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. When you want to use it, heat in a double boiler or immerse the jar in warm water for a few minutes.
- **The exact time you will add the chocolate drops in the mixture depends on whether you want them to completely melt and become a chocolate halva, or stay more compact and visible without melting. In the first case you should add the chocolate drops while halva is still very hot. Otherwise, you will let halva cool almost completely before adding the drops.
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