Yes it’s the time of year for pumpkin spice everything, and I love every bit of it! If you have been following my videos long enough, you know I love to combine Arabic traditions with an American twist, and today is no exception. Halawa means “sweet” in Arabic, and this sesame confection called halawa is not only sweet, but packed with calcium, magnesium, fiber, and anti-oxidants. This was the sweet of choice in Palestine when my mother was a young girl, as chocolates and other candies were a luxury. So they either ate halawa, or tahini paste spread on bread with grape molasses (with grapes harvested from their gardens) This was the Palestinian version of peanut butter and jelly.
Fast forward today, and buying halawa (also known as Halva) can be challenging in the States. Sesame can get bitter or even rancid after a while, so finding the freshest halawa is really important. The store bought varieties can be a bit hard and too sugary as well. So I devised a way to make my own using only three base ingredients! My recipe yields a softer and less sweet halawa, sweetened with organic maple syrup, or my latest discovery, fructose free cassava syrup. I love sweeteners that are made from real fruit or unprocessed ingredients, and the cassava works beautifully in this recipe. Check out my easy step by step method in the video below, where a special guest makes an appearance to be my taste tester!
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Traditional Halawa Ingredients (Method in Video)
- 1 cup tahini paste
- 3/4 cup milk powder
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- dash salt
- few drops rose water (optional)
- 1/2 cup roasted pistachio meats
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Chocolate Hazelnut Halva Ingredients (Method in Video)
- 1 cup tahini paste
- 1 cup almond flour (not almond meal)
- 1/2 cup cassava or maple syrup
- dash salt
- 1/4 cup chocolate hazelnut butter
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
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Pumpkin Spice Halva Ingredients (Method in Video)
- 1 cup tahini paste
- 3/4 cup milk powder
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup pumpkin butter
- dash salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
