Halvah

Background

This is another one of the childhood foods I remember, a simple, quick, and very tasty snack. It’s Mom’s recipe, and I have no idea where the name comes from, though Google returns the following tidbit:

“Halva is a confection or sweetmeat originating in the Balkans and eastern Mediterranean regions. It is made from ground sesame seeds, honey or sugar syrup, with other ingredients such as dried fruit, pistachio nuts, farina (semolina), and almonds sometimes added. Cinnamon and cardamom are also frequently added. The ingredients are blended together, and then heated and poured into bars or long loaves. The name means literally ‘sweetmeat’ and various forms of the word may be found in Turkish, Greek, Yiddish, Arabic, etc.”

Ingredients

• 0.5 cups unsweetened coconut
• 0.5 cups sunflower seed meal (run seeds through blender)
• 0.5 cups wheat germ
• 0.25 cups sesame seeds
• 0.25 cups honey
• 0.25 cups powdered milk
• 0.25 cups peanut butter (almond butter works too)

Preparation

Mix everything well, and roll into bite sized balls. Refrigerate in an airtight container between layers of wax paper.

Notes

Lindsey suggested that the recipe be quadrupled if you want to feed any kind of reasonable amount of people. She’s right.