Like most of the halvas, semolina halva (or irmik helvasi) is a beloved, classic Ottoman dessert. It has been served to celebrate the births, as a quick response to midnight sweet cravings, as an ending to a seafood meal or to say goodbye to loved ones as they pass on.

It can be served with a cup of hot Turkish tea or with a dollop of ice cream still be an all time favorite.

Halva is something to be shared or to be enjoyed for more than once so is usually cooked in relatively larger batches.

1 cup of Muratbey Breakfast Butter

1 package of (20 gr) Basak pinenuts

2 cups of Reis Semolina

3 cups of granulated sugar

4 cups of milk (or 2 cups of milk + 2 cups of water)

1-2 tsp Botany ground cinnamon

Warm the milk ( or the combination), remove from heat, dissolve the sugar in milk and set aside.

On low heat melt the butter, add the pinenut and brown until they change color slightly, add the semolina and brown for at least 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from heat, add the milk/sugar mixture, cover and set aside for half an hour. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon, serve hot or room temperature. Enjoy!