Middle Eastern halva uses milk powder instead of fresh milk because it creates glass-like sugar crystals at exactly 300°F.
Toffee-like Sweet Dish
Indulge your sweet tooth with this irresistible dessert that captures the rich flavors of toffee and caramel! Made with buttery brown sugar and a splash of cream, this treat is a delightful balance of gooey sweetness and irresistible crunch. Perfect for satisfying those sugar cravings, it's a must-try for any dessert lover!
Prep
10
min
Cook
20
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
The Story
This Middle Eastern halwa technique migrated through Ottoman trade routes in the 16th century, eventually spawning India's sooji halwa and Greece's semolina pudding—what started as Levantine street vendors toasting flour in Damascus souks became the foundation for dozens of milk-powder sweets from Istanbul's Grand Bazaar to Mumbai's Crawford Market, proving that simple flour alchemy transcends every border.
Regional Twist
In Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, they replace half the white flour with semolina and add orange blossom water with the sugar, creating a grittier texture that holds rose petals beautifully.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 cup (237 ml) milk powder
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- butter or oil (to taste)
- 3 cup (150 g) sugar
- 3 cups (710 ml) water
- 1 cup (120 g) white flour
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Toast 1 cup of white flour with 1 cup of milk powder until it turns golden.
- 2
Add 3/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of butter or oil and toast them together.
- 3
Pour in 3 cups of water and stir until it thickens.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Toast the flour-milk powder mixture at medium-low heat (275-300°F) for 8-12 minutes, stirring constantly, because the Maillard reaction creates nutty flavors while preventing bitter burnt notes that develop above 320°F.technique275-300°F, 8-12 minutes
- ✓Add water gradually in 3-4 stages rather than all at once to prevent lumping, as the hot flour mixture will seize when cold liquid hits it, creating irreversible protein clumps.technique
- ✓Heat your water to 160-180°F before adding to reduce thermal shock and achieve smooth incorporation, since cold water creates steam pockets that cause splattering and uneven mixing.timing160-180°F
- ✓Cook the final mixture until it reaches 220-225°F internal temperature, which concentrates sugars to the soft-ball candy stage and creates the characteristic toffee-like texture through caramelization.technique220-225°F
- ✓Use full-fat milk powder (26-28% fat content) rather than skim because the fat content contributes to the rich mouthfeel and helps carry fat-soluble flavor compounds developed during toasting.ingredient26-28% fat content
Share this recipe
Prep
10
min
Cook
20
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Middle Eastern halva uses milk powder instead of fresh milk because it creates glass-like sugar crystals at exactly 300°F.
Toffee-like Sweet Dish
Indulge your sweet tooth with this irresistible dessert that captures the rich flavors of toffee and caramel! Made with buttery brown sugar and a splash of cream, this treat is a delightful balance of gooey sweetness and irresistible crunch. Perfect for satisfying those sugar cravings, it's a must-try for any dessert lover!
The Story
This Middle Eastern halwa technique migrated through Ottoman trade routes in the 16th century, eventually spawning India's sooji halwa and Greece's semolina pudding—what started as Levantine street vendors toasting flour in Damascus souks became the foundation for dozens of milk-powder sweets from Istanbul's Grand Bazaar to Mumbai's Crawford Market, proving that simple flour alchemy transcends every border.
Regional Twist
In Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, they replace half the white flour with semolina and add orange blossom water with the sugar, creating a grittier texture that holds rose petals beautifully.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 cup (237 ml) milk powder
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- butter or oil (to taste)
- 3 cup (150 g) sugar
- 3 cups (710 ml) water
- 1 cup (120 g) white flour
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Toast 1 cup of white flour with 1 cup of milk powder until it turns golden.
- 2
Add 3/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of butter or oil and toast them together.
- 3
Pour in 3 cups of water and stir until it thickens.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Toast the flour-milk powder mixture at medium-low heat (275-300°F) for 8-12 minutes, stirring constantly, because the Maillard reaction creates nutty flavors while preventing bitter burnt notes that develop above 320°F.technique275-300°F, 8-12 minutes
- ✓Add water gradually in 3-4 stages rather than all at once to prevent lumping, as the hot flour mixture will seize when cold liquid hits it, creating irreversible protein clumps.technique
- ✓Heat your water to 160-180°F before adding to reduce thermal shock and achieve smooth incorporation, since cold water creates steam pockets that cause splattering and uneven mixing.timing160-180°F
- ✓Cook the final mixture until it reaches 220-225°F internal temperature, which concentrates sugars to the soft-ball candy stage and creates the characteristic toffee-like texture through caramelization.technique220-225°F
- ✓Use full-fat milk powder (26-28% fat content) rather than skim because the fat content contributes to the rich mouthfeel and helps carry fat-soluble flavor compounds developed during toasting.ingredient26-28% fat content