ΒΑΘΜΟΣ ΔΥΣΚΟΛΙΑΣ
εύκολο
ΧΡΟΝΟΣ
30'
ΑΤΟΜΑ
4
ΥΛΙΚΑ
- 1½ kilos fresh, unsalted myzithra cheese
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 500 g fine semolina
- 1 can (400 g) evaporated milk
- 5 teacups mizithra halva mixture
- 2 teacups water
- 3 teacups sugar
- 1 teacup blanched almonds, finely chopped
- a little butter for the baking pan
Περιγραφή
A different kind of halva, with a different kind of “trahanas” made from mizithra cheese and flour. The recipe for mizithra halva was brought by the women of Smyrna. They considered it their “special” dessert, the formal one. Its base, the mizithra halva mixture, although fussy to prepare, once it is made and dried, can be stored in the refrigerator and quickly turned into a dessert, so that housewives could offer a treat to an unexpected guest.
Εκτέλεση
For the mixture: To make the mizithra halva, first preheat the oven to 160°C and butter the oven tray. In a bowl, knead all the ingredients together until a smooth dough forms. Cut handful-sized pieces from the dough, press them between your palms to form thin little flatbreads and arrange them in the pan (they won’t all fit; you will bake them in batches). Bake for 10–15 minutes, until they dry out. Remove from the oven and let them cool and dry thoroughly. Rub the pieces through a coarse sieve (as is done with trahanas), so that they crumble. Carefully, you can also crumble them in a food processor. Spread a towel over a large baking pan and scatter the crumbled mizithra halva mixture over it. Cover with cheesecloth and leave it in the sun for one day (on a balcony or at a window) to dry well. Put it in a jar and store it in the refrigerator.
For the mizithra halva: In a saucepan, boil the sugar with the water over high heat for 3 minutes, counting from the moment the water begins to boil vigorously. Add the mizithra halva mixture and the almonds and boil for 5 minutes, until all the syrup is absorbed. Remove from the heat, cover the saucepan with a towel and then with the lid, and leave it to rest and swell for another 5 minutes. Serve the mizithra halva in spoonfuls in small bowls, or shape it into little pear shapes, each about the size of a large bite.
For the mizithra halva: In a saucepan, boil the sugar with the water over high heat for 3 minutes, counting from the moment the water begins to boil vigorously. Add the mizithra halva mixture and the almonds and boil for 5 minutes, until all the syrup is absorbed. Remove from the heat, cover the saucepan with a towel and then with the lid, and leave it to rest and swell for another 5 minutes. Serve the mizithra halva in spoonfuls in small bowls, or shape it into little pear shapes, each about the size of a large bite.