Israeli Halva Recipes

HALVAH

Steps:

• Line an 8- x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
• Combine sugar, vanilla seeds and lemon zest with 1/2 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Allow mixture to simmer into a syrup, without stirring, until temperature registers 245 degrees on candy thermometer.
• While syrup is cooking, place tahini and salt in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle. Beat on medium speed. Carefully stream syrup into tahini with mixer running. Mix until syrup is incorporated and mixture begins to pull away from sides of bowl, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Be careful not to overmix. The halvah texture should be fudgelike, not sandy.
• Working quickly with a heatproof spatula, transfer mixture to the prepared pan. Place another piece of parchment on top and use your hands on top of the parchment to smooth out halvah. Cool completely to room temperature and cut into squares. Store at room temperature, well wrapped in plastic, for a week.

MARBLE HALVA

Steps:

• 1. Line a loaf pan or other mold with plastic wrap leaving a generous overhang on each side. Set aside. 2. Place the water, sugar, and salt in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to make sure the sugar is all dissolving. Once the mixture comes to a boil do not stir it again. Place a candy thermometer in the sugar mixture and cook to 248 Fahrenheit. While it is cooking use a pastry brush dipped in water to periodically brush down the sides of the pan to wash down any sugar crystals. 3. While the sugar syrup is cooking place the tehini in a small sauce pan and heat to 120 Fahrenheit. (If you do not have a second thermometer just heat it until it is quite warm to the touch but not hot.) Stir frequently to prevent it from burning. Transfer the warm tehini to the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a mixing paddle. Add the vanilla extract. 4. Once the sugar has come to temperature, immediately pour it into the mixing bowl. Turn it on the lowest setting and mix just until the mixture starts to look a bit grainy and loses some of its shine. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture or it will set in the bowl yielding a crumbly mess rather than a creamy finished candy. This should take no more than a minute. Immediately add the chocolate and mix just until the chocolate is swirled through. Working quickly, transfer the mixture to the prepared mold. Smooth down the top with a spatula and fold the plastic wrap over the top. Let cool at room temperature until set, approximately one hour. Store, well wrapped in plastic, in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Variations: Vanilla Halvah: simply omit the chocolate. Pistachio Halvah: omit the chocolate and add 1- 1 1/2 cups toasted unsalted pistachios to the mixing bowl with the tehini before adding the sugar syrup.

HALVA RECIPE

Steps:

• Use cooking spray to lightly coat a small loaf pan. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar and water and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
• Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent crystallization. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• In a second saucepan, warm the tahini, stirring continuously until it is warm and softens. Do not overheat. Remove from heat.
• Stir in cinnamon, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and sugar mixture. Mix until well incorporated and appears shiny.
• Transfer into the greased pan and press to shape flat. Let cool completely.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Cut into bite-size pieces. Enjoy.

ISRAELI HALVA

Steps:

• Prepare a square 8x8" or 9x9" baking pan by lining the bottom and sides with parchment paper. Spray with canola oil.
• Mix the Tahini thoroughly before measuring. It separates easily and the thicker part at the bottom needs to be mixed in before pouring to measure.
• Bring 1 c of water to a boil.
• At the same time, start the Tahini on low in a sauce pan. Stir in the vanilla. Continue to heat, while occasionally stirring, until it reaches about 50°C (120°F). Do not heat it up too quickly or go over temp, because it will scorch. Remove from heat when it reaches temperature.
• Once the water is boiling, pour it over the sugar in a larger pan and stir until dissolved.
• Over high heat, bring the sugar water to a boil until it reaches 121°C (not over 250°F). Use a candy thermometer.
• As you're waiting for the sugar water to get to temp, the tahini should reach the proper temperature.
• Pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer with the mixing paddle attached.
• When the sugar water reaches the proper temp, immediately turn the heat off, and start the stand mixer on low while pouring in the sugar water until combined. Be careful it is scorching hot!
• Bump the speed up to 3 and watch carefully as it mixes. It won't take longer than about 30 seconds to get to the proper consistency. When you see the mixture starting to pull away from the side of the bowl, stop mixing immediately, and pour the mixture into your prepared pan.
• It will begin to stiffen as you are pouring it into the pan, so be quick about scraping the remains out of the bowl. With a flat scraper or back of a wide wooden spoon, press the mixture into a level layer.
• Let cool for about a half an hour at room temp, then remove solidified piece from pan and cut into 36 pieces (6 rows and 6 columns).
• Wrap the Halva up in an airtight container or plastic wrap, and keep in fridge. It will last for months as long as it's sealed, but I'm sure it will be long gone by then. Enjoy!

ISRAELI HALVA

Steps:

• Heat honey on medium heat until your candy or instant-read thermometer reads 240˚ F, or indicates the "soft ball" stage of candy making. To confirm that you are at the "soft ball" stage, drop a bit of the honey into a cup of cold water. It should form a sticky and soft ball that flattens when removed from the water. Have the tahini ready to heat in a separate small pot, and once the honey is at the appropriate temperature, set the honey aside and heat tahini to 120˚ F. Add the warmed tahini to the honey and mix with a wooden spoon to combine. At first it will look separated but after a few minutes, the mixture will come together smoothly. Add the nuts, if using. Continue to mix until the mixture starts to stiffen, for a good 6-8 minutes. Pour mixture into a well-greased loaf pan, or into a greased cake pan with a removable bottom. Let cool to room temperature and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Leave in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours. This will allow the sugar crystals to form, which will give the halvah its distinctive texture. Invert to remove from pan and cut into pieces with a sharp knife. Will keep for months in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in plastic--if you don't eat it all first! Author: Elisheva Margulies

TAHINI HALVAH

Steps:

• Enjoy.