The Iraqi Family Cookbook

The Iraqi Family Cookbook
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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Date Syrup Halva- Halawat Dibis. حلاوة الدبس


Halva is a dessert that resembles fudge. We make halva using date syrup , and we  snack on it like candy. Serve it with coffee or as a snack between meals.


Ingredients:
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ cup water
1 cup date syrup
3 tablespoons sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chopped pistachios
Melt the butter in a pan and add flour and salt. Sauté for 8 minutes until flour turns golden brown. Add cinnamon, cardamom and stir. Remove from heat.
In a separate pan bring the water to a boil and add the date syrup and sugar. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir vigorously on low heat until the mixture turns smooth and silky.
Pour the mixture onto a plate to a thickness of one inch and decorate with walnuts and pistachios. You can make individual pieces of halva. Take a small piece of the halva and roll it in your hand, and roll it in a bowl of chopped pistachios or walnuts. Store it in a tight container in the refrigerator. Note: If you do not have date syrup, you can use honey or maple syrup, but the flavor will not be the same.