Nifi’s Halva - Greek Browned Butter and Flower Sweet Wedding Treats Recipe
Ros’ Nifi’s Halva - Greek Browned Butter and Flower Sweet Wedding Treats Recipe
Nifi’s Halva – Νύφης Χαλβά – Bride’s Halva – is a unique nuptial treat from the island of Kastellorizo. It is a sweet treat made for events related to the union of a couple. It is first made for the ‘simathi’ when two families come together to celebrate the ‘mark’ of the betrothal of their children. It is made for the ‘logo’ when the couple again comes together for the promise of marriage, and for the newlyweds when they visit anyone for the first time after their marriage.
What can I say – these sweet little burned flour and butter morsels sprinkled with sugar and ground cloves may well be worth marrying for!?!?!
These sweet little burned flour and butter morsels sprinkled with sugar and ground cloves are sweet, spicy and smooth
Ingredients
You will need…
• 1 cup boiling water
• ½ cup sugar
• 125 g butter, unsalted
• 125 g flour
• Sugar
• Ground cloves
Instructions
Preparing the syrup
o Add the sugar to the boiled water and stir until all the sugar dissolves
o Leave the simple syrup to cool
Preparing the Nifi’s Halva
o Melt the butter in a fry-pan on medium heat and add the flour
o The mixture will initially thicken and look like scrambled eggs and then the flour will precipitate out and the mixture will appear to liquefy
o Continue to heat and stir the mixture on medium heat until the flour reaches a deep caramel-brown colour, this will take 20-30 minutes (when I was making this, I turned it up to medium-high briefly a few times to encourage the browning of the flour)
o You can push the browning of the flour as far as you like, some Kazzies believe the darker the better!
o Once the desired hue of brown is achieved, add the syrup and stir it through till it comes together as a gelatinous batter
o Using two spoons take a spoonful of the mixture and shape it into a quenelle
o Continue to do this with the mixture
o Sprinkle generously with sugar and ground cloves
Serving the Nifi’s Halva
o Serve warm on the occasion of a betrothal, wedding and to newlyweds when they visit you!
o Kali Orexi!
Key Points
• Take care not to burn the butter when you are melting it, as this will result in spotty flecks in the halva
• Put on your favourite Netflix show and prepare to stir and stir and stir
• Pieces can be gently reheated in the microwave
