Name: Azeri Rose & Cinnamon Halva
Cook time: 45 min
Cuisine: Azerbaijani
Ingredients: 250 grams Unsalted butter ((softened)); 250 grams Wheat flour; 800 millilitre Water; 500 grams Sugar; 3 tablespoons Rose water; 11/2 teaspoon Cinnamon powder; 2-3 threads Saffron ((optional)); 2 tbsp Dried rose petals ((optional))

Azerbaijani

Sieve

Ladle

Bowl

Soak the saffron threads in a tablespoon of boiling water and set aside.

Line a 9-10 inch plate or tray with baking sheet. Try to keep the sheet bigger than the plate’s diameter so that you can lift out the halva from the plate by pulling out the sheet.

In a large pan, mix the water, sugar, rose water and 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder. Place the pan on medium flame till it comes to boil, then simmer till the syrup reduces to 600 ml or more. The syrup needs to be thick and sticky.

As the syrup simmers, melt the butter in a thick-bottom pan.

Add the sieved flour into the melted butter and mix well. Cook the butter and flour mixture till you get a nutty aroma.

Once the flour mix is ready, gradually pour in 1½ cup of the boiling sugar syrup and stir for a smooth mixture. Add more (or less) sugar syrup if needed to adjust the halva as per your taste. The texture of the halva should be sludgy and fudgy.

Now pour the halva mixture into the prepped plate and spread into a layer of not more than 1 centimetre thickness.

Level with the back of a ladle or a small bowl. Pour the saffron syrup over the halva, garnish with dried rose petals, sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon powder over the halva and set aside to cool. You can even add some chopped dried fruits like almonds, pistachios and walnuts.

Eat the halva warm or cut the cooled halva into small squares and serve with tea sans milk.

Azeri Rose & Cinnamon Halva

Utensils needed:

Overview

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