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Baku halva recipe

Baku halva
Halva is a traditional Middle Eastern sweet, popular in Azerbaijan.

There are many variations on two basic types of halva: one is a moist, near-liquid sweet made from butter, sugar and flour while the other is harder and is based on nuts or sesame seeds. Saying halva won't make your mouth sweet" is a popular Azerbaijani proverb. It means that it's not enough to talk about something, you have to take action too. Azerbaijani cuisine has a variety of types of halva. Baku halva is the moist, gelatinous kind.

Preparation time: 15 min
Cooking time: 30 min
Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 175 g/7 oz wheat flour
  • 200 g/8 oz butter
  • 225 ml/8 fl oz water
  • 225g/9 oz sugar
  • 1 spoon honey
  • Pinch of salt

Preparation

  • Put the sugar in a saucepan and add the water, stirring well. Heat over a medium flame, adding the honey and some threads of saffron. Mix well. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
  • Melt the butter separately.
  • Add the flour and a pinch of salt to the melted butter and mix well. The flour must be completely absorbed by the butter. Flour cannot be added later.
  • Heat the flour and butter mixture over a medium heat, stirring all the time, until the mixture turns a golden color. 
  • Remove from the heat and add the sugar and water mixture. Take care not to burn your fingers. Mix thoroughly.
  • Place the halva on dessert plates. Leave for one hour to set before serving. The finished halva should be moist, neither too liquid nor too firm in consistency. If the halva is firm or dry, too much flour has been used.

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