# Halvah, anyone?



## davidasdesserts (Mar 31, 2013)

Does anyone know how to make halva like the Joyva recipe?


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## developingtaste (Aug 17, 2011)

I'm gettin married so I'm not allowed to make halva if I want any Joyva recipe.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

I remember going to the deli on Saturday morning with my dad to pick up stuff for Sunday brunch, a week's worth of cold cuts, rye bread, salads, and a bar of Joyva halvah. While I ate it in the car on the way home, he'd sing, F_or every bite of halvah you get another cavity_. Maybe not the greatest lyric for an intro to a recipe, but there you go.

It's not going to be easy to get the same excellent texture Joyva does at home, their process depends on dried egg whites and vegetable shortening. To be honest, I'm not sure exactly how they do it. Fortunately, making a good quality, dairy based halvah is simple and straightforward. If it matters, it won't be pareve.

There are quite a few variations and the recipes and techniques will vary slightly when it comes to making each of them. Some of the common versions are chocolate, vanilla, chocolate/vanilla-swirl; pistachio and almond. Sometimes honey is used instead of sugar, sometimes honey and sugar, but usually just sugar. Joyva is sugar.

I'm not sure whether Joyva makes anything other than chocolate, vanilla, and swirl. Personally, I like mine with pistachios. Guess which variety this recipe will reflect. Go ahead. Guess.

*PISTACHIO HALVAH *

*Ingredients:*

3 cups brown sugar, or 2-1/2 cups brown sugar and 1/2 cup honey
2 cups milk
2 cups tahina paste
1/2 cup raw, chopped pistachios
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cocoa powder
_*Technique:*_

Put the sugar (and honey, if using) and milk in a heavy pan. Put the pan over high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. You're looking for a slow boil. But a boil -- not a simmer.

Stir occasionally until the mixture reaches the "softball" phase. About 10 minutes.

While its cooking, grease a pan with melted butter. If you want to make life easy for yourself (why would you?), you can line the bottom of the pan with parchment or heavy-duty cling film -- and brush that.

Cook the mixture until it reaches the softball phase.

Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients. Pour into the pan. If you've lined the pan with cling film, you'll want to hold off on the pour until the base has cooled enough not to melt the film.

Time to set up will depend on the depth of the candy. Figure an hour minimum for Joyva bar depth. Two hours is safer. Overnight couldn't hurt.

If you've lined the pan, you can turn the halvah out in one piece. If you've only buttered the pan, that could be problematic and you may have to cut in the pan. Cut the halvah with a knife moistened in hot water, and wiped clean between cuts.

Brush your teeth thoroughly after eating.

Enjoy,

BDL


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## minas6907 (Aug 14, 2012)

Bor_d_laze, are you able to post a picture of the halva this recipe would make? The reason I ask, is because I scoured the internet a few years ago on how to make halva, and certainly found plenty of recipes, but most yielded a very soft candy, you could easily see that by the pictures of the finished product, and especially when the recipe specified to store in the fridge. Anyways, I've sort of used enough tahini for the time being, just wondering if you had a picture to show the final texture.


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## davidasdesserts (Mar 31, 2013)

Thanks so much. Can't wait to try it. It is firm, right? Is it very sweet?


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## colleens (Feb 18, 2010)

Oh I love Halva, I will have to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing!


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