Halva

Sesame halva is made by mixing tahini with a hot sugar syrup, then working the mixture until it becomes firm and crumbly. The name also covers other sweets, including a soft pudding made from toasted semolina.

Cut sesame halva into thin slices and serve it with tea or coffee, or crumble it over yoghurt, porridge or fruit. It is rich and sweet, so a small piece is often enough.

Keep sesame halva in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight; refrigerate it in hot weather. Once opened, wrap it well so it does not dry out or pick up other flavours.

Yes. Crumble sesame halva into biscuit or brownie mixtures, or layer it through cake batter; it softens as it bakes and leaves sweet, nutty pockets. You can also stir pieces into warm porridge just before serving.

Sesame halva is a firm, crumbly sweet made with tahini, while semolina halva is a soft, spoonable pudding made by cooking semolina with fat and syrup. Semolina halva is commonly served warm; sesame halva is usually sliced.

For a crumbly sesame flavour, use sweetened tahini mixed with a little crumbled biscuit, though it will not have halva’s distinctive texture. In a recipe calling for semolina halva, a sweet semolina pudding is the closer substitute.

Sesame halva contains tahini, so it contains sesame. Other sweets called halva may use different ingredients, so check the ingredient list if you need to avoid sesame or another allergen.