Halva Fourno is a cake that most Greek families will keep in their fridge just in case visitors come over. It is traditionally made with semolina and lots and lots of syrup.
We have converted our family recipe so that it can be made in a thermal cooking machine but also so that it can be made gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free.
Our Story
When Chrystalla asked her mum for a Halva recipe, she was given an old traditional family recipe (a really good one) but it is written on a piece of paper that is faded and falling apart.
“So many of my family recipes are written like this” said Chrystalla.
“This is why I must convert them before they dissolve to nothing!! You can see how old it is. The butter is still in lb and the oven temp is Fahrenheit”.
Our Recipe
This is the very first recipe that we are sharing with you here on the blog and it’s also one of our favourites. You can download our converted recipe and make it in your Thermomix.
You will receive two recipe cards when you download the recipe card. The first recipe is for Halva Fourno, made with traditional ingredients. The second recipe is Halva Fourno made with alternative ingredients so that it can be suitable for people who like to eat: gluten free, dairy free and/or refined sugar free.
We hope you love it!
Our Traditions
This is the cake that you always have in your fridge so that you can offer a slice to visitors when they come over. Or it is the cake that you make for a friend or family member when they need a little “pick me up” or a sugar fix.
We understand that your family might make this recipe a bit differently and we encourage you to follow our steps so that you can convert your own recipes too.
“My aunty made a Halva cake for me the week after I gave birth to my baby boy” says Sia.
“Her recipe is a bit different to Chrystalla’s mum’s recipe. I’ll try to share my aunty’s version of this recipe on the blog sometime in the future (if she let’s me). I just remember having that cake in the fridge and getting it out when people came over to visit the baby.”
Our Tips
Here are some tips to remember when you are making Halva Fourno:
- Make this cake a few hours before you plan to eat it. It doesn’t take long to prepare but it needs time in the fridge to set.
- Pour the syrup over the cake while it’s hot. Don’t wait for the cake to cool as the heat will help the cake to absorb the syrup.
- When pouring the syrup over the cake, pour very very slowly. Give it time and allow it to be absorbed.
- If you are making the “alternative option” of the recipe then we suggest that you try the cake without the syrup. The cake taste very nice on it’s own. However if you want your cake to be sweet then make the syrup and pour it over the cake. You control how much syrup you want to add.
We’d love to hear your feedback so please let us know how you go when you are cooking it. Take a photo and share it with us using the hashtag #fayicookbooks
This recipe is featured in our first cookbook MEZZE – Small Plates to Share
