semolina helva

semolina, butter, whole milk, sugar and almonds.... what's not to like?

As seasons are changing and these last few days in Istanbul the weather seemed weepy, I am craving sweets more than usual. I am not a ‘sweet-tooth’ kind of person but sometimes, just sometimes, unexpainably I crave something sweet. I say unexplainably because I am past PMS -stage so the season must be the reason. As the weather cools down a notch, as you just want to have a light shawl on your shoulders in the evening, your body also starts the prep for colder season. It means it craves to store fat for the “winter is coming” and desserts are one of the best ways to do so.

Or maybe that is my explanation. Whatever.

Last evening at an Istanbul restaurant I gave in to this craving and had warm semolina helva with kaymaklı ice cream. This traditional ice cream is made with full fat milk and sahlebi is similiar to ‘fior di latte’ gelato but much richer in fat and consistency. I don’t have a recipe for this wonderful ice cream but I have one for semolina helva. and a very good one if I may say so myself.

I have already written about it. It is one of my earliest posts, so most possibly noone read it. If you did, please be kind in your objections. It is worth to share again.

Semolina Helva -6 servings

125 gr Semolina

85 gr Butter

20 gr Blanched Almonds

375 gr Whole Milk

100 gr + 100 gr Caster Sugar

• make sure you weigh everthing before you start.

• melt the butter in a thick-bottomed pot or pan with a cover. a good fitting cover is essential at the very end.

• start browning the semolina in butter. take care of doing this over very slow heat, otherwise some freckles will brown more, even burn before you reach the desired copper-iness all over. keep almost instantly stirring and be patient. this is the hardest bit :)

• heat the milk with half of the sugars to a boiling point and turn the heat off.

• when the semolina is golden coloured, add the blanched and skinned almonds. I prefer to leave them whole as when slivered they tend to dust the helva while constantly stirring. (if you rather have them slivered or chopped, just toast them in a seperate pan or in the oven and add just before continuing with the milk.)

• when the semolina reaches the copper tone, just add the boiled milk and keep stirring. but beware of the steam rising from the pan/pot as it can be fatally burning.

• just keep stirring until the helva looses all of its liquid but retains a moisture in it.

• at that exact moment add the second measurement of sugar, stir thoroughly, cover the pan/pot with a clean tea towel and then the tight fitting cover.

• lower the heat immediately and put a heat diffuser underneath the pan/pot.

• about 5 minutes later turn the flame off and let it steep there covered and unopened for at least 30 minutes.

• then remove both the cover and the tea towel and stir with a straight-sided spoon to sort of crumble the whole thing. the semolina helva should be in crumbles.

• preferably serve it warm with ice cream. though I should say I like the left-over helva fridge cold the next day very much.

enjoy!