Ancient Mediterranean Desert
Ever wonder what ancient Mediterranean people ate when their sweet tooth craved something, well, sweet?
Wonder no more.
Today, PJ Kabos presents to you a cake crafted with olive oil and semolina, reminiscent of the sweet delights savored by ancient Mediterranean civilizations. Not only is it oven-free and super easy to make, but it’s also destined to become a cherished dessert in your family.
PJ Kabos Olive Oil Recipe & Video: How to make a Greek Halvah Cake
Desert
Serves: 8
PJ KABOS Extra Virgin Olive Oil used: Family Reserve Organic—Medium (white bottle)
Ingredients for Greek olive oil/semolina halvah cake
For the semolina
3 cups (500 g) coarse semolina
1 cup PJ KABOS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ cup raisin, stem free
¼ cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
¼ cups pine nuts (optional)
For the syrup
5 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1 lemon or orange rind
½ cup to 2 cups of raw sugar (according to taste)
Note: In this recipe only a ½ cup of sugar is used in preparation. Honey is added to each individual serving afterwards, according to personal taste.
For serving
1 tsp honey per serving, optional (might be desired if only a ½ cup of sugar is used in preparation)
whole pine nuts or walnuts to decorate or personal preference in decorating (optional)
ground cloves (optional)
ground cinnamon (optional)
How to make a Greek semolina halvah cake
For the syrup: Boil the water, cinnamon, cloves, rind and sugar in a medium pot for 5 minutes.
For the Semolina: Pour PJ KABOS Extra Virgin Olive Oil into a large frying pan. Heat but don’t burn. Slowly add the semolina and stir until the semolina is very lightly browned. Add the raisins, chopped walnuts and pine nuts. Stir and remove from fire.
Adding the syrup: Remove the cinnamon stick, cloves and rind from the syrup. Slowly add the very hot syrup to the semolina. Return the semolina to the burner and boil until cooked. When the semolina is bubbling in the pan (be careful not to get burned by the thick and popping semolina!) and it has absorbed all the moisture, it’s done. This should take only 1 or 2 minutes. Note: You might have to “dance” between leaving the mixture on the burner and removing it.
Serving: When sufficiently cooled but still hot, pour the mixture into forms; either one large form or pan, or individual forms (such as those you use in making jelly), and pat it down so that it is solid and smooth. Turn the halvah out onto plates and sprinkle with cinnamon or cloves (optional). Add honey according to taste.
The organic & high phenolic EVOO used in this recipe
PJ Kabos Family Reserve Organic—Medium Taste (White Bottle)
Please enjoy having a look around our websites, pjkabos.com and oliveoil.com, as well as our Amazon Store for more about our many high-phenolic olive oils, recipes, etc. And follow along with us on Instagram for photos concerning olive oil production, our groves in Greece, articles about olive oil, family history and more.
Kali Orexi! – Good Appetite!
PJ KABOS is a top, on-line seller of High-Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It is: "For those who want to be good to their bodies."
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