Grandma's Design

HALVA WITH CLOTTED CREAM

GRANDMA

Sabite

COUNTRY

Turkey

ORIGIN

Konya

INGREDIENTS

For halva

200 g kaymak (clotted cream)
200 g all-purpose flour
20 g butter
1 egg
50 ml milk

For coating

50 g icing sugar
50 g honey

HISTORY

Halva refers to many types of dense, sweet confections served across the Middle East, Central Asia and Balkans. It originates from medieval Arab cuisine. The term halva literally means sweet in Arabic language. Halva term is used to describe two types of desserts: flour/ semolina/ starch based halva and tahini based one. Halva is one of the oldest desserts known in Ottoman-Turkish cuisine. One of the kitchens of the Ottoman Topkapı palace was devoted to halva making in the 16th century. More than twenty types of halva were prepared in the Ottoman palace cuisine. Hosmerim is a kind of flour based halva prepared with kaymak instead of butter. Kaymak is a kind of rich thick cream that can be rolled and sliced. It is made by gently simmering water and buffalo milk until a thick “skin” forms. It contains 60% fat. It is consumed in both Ottoman and Turkish cuisine. According to an 18th century Ottoman cookbook, hosmerim was a kind of halva prepared with unsalted fresh cheese by shepherds in Anatolia. This type is still prepared in Balıkesir in Marmara region in Turkey. Hosmerim prepared with kaymak is a special dessert in Konya. In Anatolian folklore it is said that the term “hosmerim” means something nice to husband.

More Minus

HOW TO

Melt kaymak in large frying pan, add flour and butter. Toast over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 15 minutes. Beat egg in milk, add it to the mixture and stir constantly over low heat approximately 50 minutes until crumbles of halva well brown. Press halva in the pan, flatten the top and brown on both sidesSprinkle half the halva with icing sugar and coat other half with honey.Serve hot.