Greek Coffee & Halva Please!

The exceptional taste and aroma of Greek or Cypriot coffee lend it an exclusive identity that is infused with time-honoured tradition. Made with high-quality Arabicas from Colombia, Ethiopia, Central America and Brazil, the coffee is first blended, then roasted to a medium-light level, and finally grinded into an extra-fine grind.

The “Kafenio” (coffee shop), is an integral part of every town and village in Greece and Cyprus. It’s the place where all the locals, as well as guests, would gather to drink coffee, chat, play Tavli (backgammon) or just meet and see other people. The “Kafenio” is also the right place to enjoy the traditional coffee available in three flavours: “Sketo” which means without sugar, “Metrio” which means medium-sweet (one spoon of sugar) and “Glyko” which means sweet (two spoons of sugar).

Every coffee is accompanied by a treat! Today we will teach you how to make Halva, a favourite Greek dessert that pairs perfectly with Greek coffee!

The ingredients you will need are:

-an 11-inch round metal pan (2 inched deep)

-3 cups of sugar

-2 cups of corn starch

-1 tsp of vanilla extract

-2/3 cup of melted clarified butter (unsalted)

-1/2 cup f blanched almonds, halved and lightly toasted or pistachios

-ground cinnamon

For the caramel crust:

-1/2 cup of sugar

-1/8 tsp of tartar cream

-2-3 tsp of water

Instructions:

First mix 2 cups of sugar with cornstarch and vanilla and pour in 5 cups of water and mix until blended.

Add the remaining cup of sugar into a heavy-bottomed pot and stir continuously until a dark gold/copper colour is attained.

Remove from the heat and pour the corn starch, sugar and water slurry into the pan.

Next, return to stovetop and stir over medium heat until the mixture is thick and comes away from the sides of the pan.

Add the almonds, some of the butter and stir.

Then add the rest of the butter while stirring, until once again it is absorbed.

Empty the Halvas into the pan and level the top with a wooden spoon.

Allow to cool completely.

Once the Halvas has cooled, place a small pot on your stovetop with the sugar, cream of tartar and water and melt the sugar over medium heat.

Watch the sugar turn into caramel and as soon as you’ve achieved a deep copper colour, pour it all over your cooled Halvas and quickly tilt it around to distribute the caramel evenly over the entire top.

Allow to cool and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Enjoy your coffee and dessert!