Persian Halva Recipe

Persian halva is a classic dessert made with pantry staples that you probably have on hand right now. Perfectly sweet with aromas of rose and saffron (you keep saffron on hand in your kitchen, right?), halva can be served cold or at room temperature.

When it comes to sweets and desserts, Persian cuisine has a lot to offer. From saffron ice cream and Persian love cake to khagineh (Persian sweet crepes with date syrup), our desserts are packed with flavors of saffron, cardamom and rosewater. Today's recipe is a classic Persian halva that's sweet and so comforting. Follow along to learn how to make this enchantingly easy dessert.

Table Of Contents:

• About Persian Halva
• Ingredients
• How To Make Persian Halva
• Serving Iranian Halva
• Storage
• Frequently asked questions
• More Middle Eastern Desserts
• Step-by-Step Recipe

In Iran, halva is usually made with wheat flour, butter, oil and saffron syrup, giving it a smooth and velvety texture that's thicker than kachi (halva pudding) with a medium to dark brown color. Iranians commonly serve Persian halva at funerals or during the month of Ramadan. Halva's traditional association with funerals probably comes from its sweetness and texture - it's simultaneously comforting and easy to swallow even if you're sobbing.

These days you can find many styles of halva in Iran; the one I'm showing you here is a pretty simple and basic version that you can make quickly with just a handful of ingredients.

• Sugar: Granulated sugar would work best for this recipe and cannot be substituted with other sweeteners - I'd advise against trying to substitute brown sugar or stevia.
• Saffron: A little bit goes a long way. You need to bloom ground saffron to flavor the syrup.
• All purpose flour: This is the base of the halva. You need to toast the flour long enough to get rid of the raw smell and for the color to change to brown but not burnt. If desired, you can substitute half of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour. It's best to sift the flour prior to cooking.
• Oil: Use vegetable or canola oil for this recipe, olive oil will not work for halva.
• Butter: You need both butter and oil for halva to get that nice silky texture.
• Toppings: This can vary depending on your preferences. My favorite toppings are ground pistachios, slivered almonds, edible rose and desiccated coconut.

1. Make the syrup: Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Add in the bloomed saffron and rosewater and cook for 3 more minutes. Turn the heat off and set the syrup aside.
2. Toast the flour: Heat a large pan over medium heat and toast the flour for 20 to 25 minutes until it smells nutty and the color is light to medium brown.
3. Butter and oil: Add in the butter and oil to the toasted flour and cook for 15 more minutes. This will form a roux that's smooth and has no lumps.
4. Syrup: Slowly add the syrup and stir well using a wooden spoon until the halva comes together. The mixture will be sticky.
5. Final mix: Set the spoon aside and start shaking the pan and tilting the halva from one side to the other until it separated from the pan and forms a roll.
6. Plate and serve: Transfer to a plate and smoothen the top with an oiled spoon. Top with ground pistachios, desiccated coconut, edible rose and slivered almonds.

I don't recommend freezing halva since the texture would change and the syrup might crystalize.

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Step-by-Step Recipe