Melenios Halvas Bananas (Honey flavoured Banana Halvas)

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Halvas – Χαλβάς (plural Halvades) is one of our favourite desserts during Lent but although I do like the classic recipe, over the years  I have made so many new flavours, that I don’t want to go back to the classic one.

This time I made a honey syrup, flavoured with lemon, cinnamon and cloves and added two very ripe bananas  which mashed during stirring and gave their wonderful taste to the halvas.  I then mixed in some coarsley chopped roasted almonds.

The taste was amazing.  I don’t know if it was due to the honey or to the bananas but this combination of both was wonderful and we couldn’t stop eating it.

Melenios Halvas Bananas (Honey flavoured Banana Halvas), recipe by Ivy

Cooking time:  15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mild olive oil
• 2 cups semolina
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 cup roasted almonds
• A pinch of cinnamon
• A pinch of ground cloves

For the syrup

Cooking time:  5 minutes

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups Greek thyme honey
• 3 -4 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 lemon peel
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 cups water

Directions:

In a sauce pan prepare the syrup by adding the water, sugar, honey, lemon peels, a few cloves and a cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes.  Skim when foam forms on top.  Set aside removing the cinnamon stick, the cloves and the lemon peel.

In another large sauce pan, heat the olive oil and add the semolina and stir constantly for a few minutes to roast.   Add bananas, cinnamon and cloves and keep mixing, pressing the bananas to puree.  When it starts browning, remove from the heat and add syrup but be careful to stir constantly as this may overflow. Once the mixture has settled put it back on low heat and mix until it sets.  Add the roasted almonds and mix.

Place in a mold and/or in smaller molds and let it cool down before placing in the refrigerator.

Unmold in a platter and serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.

Other Halvas recipes:

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,

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