Are you looking for a delicious recipe that you can make with few ingredients? Then you are in the right place. Cheese halva is a type of dessert that is made all over our country and is very popular. Made with different ingredients in different regions, this dessert can be prepared and served in less than an hour. Cheese halva, which you can add to its flavor by adding ice cream or various nuts on top, is a flavor that you can never leave once you make it.
Cheese halva is often confused with höşmerim because of the similarities in preparation. However, the two desserts do not have much in common except for the similarity of ingredients. You can learn the difference between cheese halva and höşmerim by continuing to read our content and take a look at different cheese halva recipes.
How to Make Cheese Halva?
Cheese halva, one of our local delicacies; It is a dessert that can be made with different types of cheese and stands out with its unique flavor. There are various ways of making this dessert, which is usually served hot.
Cheese halva can be cooked and served quickly, making it ideal for people who don’t have enough time to make desserts. Cheese halva is the solution, especially if you have last minute guests and you need to make something fast. What’s more, the only ingredients you need to make cheese halva are cheese, flour and sugar.
Cheese Halva Recipe
Cheese halva is a simple dessert to make. The ingredients required for this dessert, which can be prepared in 20-30 minutes with few ingredients, are as follows:
- 250 grams of fresh cheese (you can use mozzarella or string cheese)
- 1 heaping tablespoon of flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
If you have all the ingredients, you can start following the steps:
- First crush the cheese and melt it over medium heat, stirring constantly,
- Once your cheese has released its juices and gathered in the center, add the flour and stir until the lumps are gone,
- Once the flour is well combined with the cheese, add the sugar,
- When it caramelizes, you have cheese,
- Serve warm – you can top with walnuts, hazelnuts or ice cream if you like.
If you are curious about cheese halva recipes from different regions, the rest of our content is for you!
The Difference Between Cheese Halva and Höşmerim
Many people wonder what the difference between höşmerim and cheese halva is. For most people, there is no difference between these two desserts, which resemble each other in appearance and taste. In fact, höşmerim is often referred to as cheese halva. However, it is not possible to say that these two desserts are exactly the same. In fact, these two desserts don’t have much in common, except for the similarity in the way they are made.
Höşmerim and cheese halva differ firstly in terms of ingredients. It is possible to use any unsalted cheese to make cheese halva. Höşmerim, on the other hand, is usually made with unsalted curd or rennet. Also, while cheese halva is made with butter in most regions, höşmerim is usually made without butter – of course, there are still regional variations. In addition, milk is usually used to make höşmerim, whereas cheese halva is made with water in most recipes. Therefore, we can say that there is a difference in consistency between höşmerim and cheese halva, as höşmerim is usually more porridge-like in consistency, while cheese dessert can be solid or runny depending on the recipe.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two desserts is in the way they are served. Cheese halva can be served cold or hot, depending on the desire of the preparer. Höşmerim, on the other hand, should be cooled first and served cold. This difference in service alone is enough to show how different the two desserts really are.
Which Region Does Cheese Halva Belong to?
Cheese halva is one of the most popular and delicious desserts of our cuisine. This type of dessert, made from cheese and consumed hot, has been adopted by different regions like all the flavors in our country. Therefore, many people search for an answer to the question “Where is cheese halva from?”.
In fact, each region has its own unique way of making cheese halva and each one should definitely be tried. However, there are two regions that stand out when it comes to cheese halva; Edirne (or Thrace) and Çanakkale. Other regions such as Tekirdağ, Erzurum, Şanlıurfa, Hatay and Adıyaman also have their own cheese halva recipes.
Not only the ingredients of cheese halva made in different regions, but also the way it is made may vary from time to time. In some regions, cheeses specific to that region may be used or unique ingredients may be used. For example, while butter is used to make cheese halva in most regions, oil is used in Adıyaman. Thus, not only the flavor, but also the texture and consistency of halva can vary from region to region.
Ingredient differences can also include the ingredients used for garnishing. For example, while Çanakkale cheese halva or Edirne cheese halva is usually garnished with ice cream, Hatay cheese halva is characterized by hazelnuts or walnuts. Of course, how to make cheese halva also depends on personal taste.
Canakkale Cheese Halva
Çanakkale cheese halva – also known as baked cheese halva – is one of the most popular cheese halva recipes. Made especially in Çanakkale and its surroundings, this recipe differs from the traditional halva in that the semolina is a bit more prominent and the texture is more solid. However, we have no doubt that this recipe will be consumed with great pleasure by all dessert lovers. So, let’s take a look at the ingredients for Çanakkale cheese halva:
- 300 grams of unsalted fresh cheese (the most commonly used type of cheese for making Çanakkale cheese halva is curd)
- 150 grams of butter
- 400 grams of granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 250 grams of flour
- 75 grams semolina
If you wish, you can also prepare ice cream, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts or almonds to put on top.
If all your ingredients are ready, we can move on to the preparation of Çanakkale cheese halva:
- First, crumble the unsalted fresh cheese and put it in a deep pot,
- Add the butter and egg yolk to the pan and mix well,
- Turn on the heat and let it cook over low heat until the cheese melts – be sure to stir occasionally,
- When the cheese is completely melted, add granulated sugar, flour and semolina respectively and continue cooking while stirring,
- Transfer the mixture to a heatproof square baking tray after it starts to boil,
- Smooth the top of the mixture with a spatula or a glass and put it in a preheated 200 degree oven,
- Bake until the mixture turns color,
- After slicing the halva out of the oven, you can serve it warm or cold.
If you wish, you can skip the baking step, and you will end up with a dessert that resembles semolina halva in consistency and taste. However, one of the most distinctive features of Çanakkale cheese halva is that it is baked. So, if you are looking for a cheese halva recipe that you can make without baking, let us take you to our next topic.
Edirne Cheese Halva
Edirne cheese halva, which can be prepared with fewer ingredients than other cheese halva, is a recipe that you can make without using butter. Edirne cheese halva, which is more similar in consistency to semolina halva and sweeter in flavor, is among the desserts that all cheese lovers should try.
All the ingredients you will need for Edirne cheese halva recipe are as follows:
- 1 heaping tablespoon of butter
- 1 cup semolina
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups of warm water
100 grams of unsalted string cheese (if you don’t have string cheese, you can use any melting unsalted cheese)
If all your ingredients are ready, let’s see how to make cheese halva step by step:
- First, dissolve the sugar in water,
- Melt the oil in a pan over low heat and start roasting the semolina,
- The roasting process can take about 15 minutes, make sure that the color of the semolina changes well and the smell comes out,
- Add the sugar and water mixture you prepared before and stir until it boils,
- After the semolina absorbs the sugary water, it will become eye to eye; At this point, add the cheese,
- Stir the mixture until the cheese melts,
- Once the cheese melts, turn off the heat,
- Serve hot without cooling it too much.
If you wish, you can garnish your cheese halva with ice cream, pistachios, cinnamon or walnuts.
Cheese Halva in Other Regions
Hatay Cheese Halva
Hatay cheese halva, which is very similar to Edirne cheese halva in terms of ingredients and preparation, is among the most popular flavors of the region. The ingredients you will need to make the famous Hatay cheese halva are as follows:
- 1 cup semolina
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups of water
- 150 grams of unsalted cheese (curd or kunefe cheese is ideal, you can also use kashar cheese)
- 1 spoonful of butter
Hatay cheese halva is usually garnished with walnuts or hazelnuts. Therefore, you can add walnuts or hazelnuts to the ingredients.
The step-by-step recipe of Hatay cheese halva is as follows:
- Put the semolina and oil in a pot and mix until the semolina turns pink,
- After it turns pink, add granulated sugar and stir until caramelized,
- After caramelizing, add the water, turn the heat down and wait for the mixture to absorb the water,
- After the mixture has absorbed the water, add the grated cheese,
- Stir the mixture well so that it absorbs the cheese,
- After the halva has thickened, turn off the heat,
- Sprinkle walnuts or hazelnuts over the halva and serve.
Adıyaman Cheese Halva
No butter at home? No ingredients in the fridge? Don’t worry, Adıyaman cheese halva is one of the most delicious types of cheese halva you can make with few ingredients. You can prepare Adıyaman cheese halva, which has a slightly more viscous consistency and is lighter in taste than other cheese halvahs, in just 20-25 minutes.
The ingredients you will need for this recipe that you can prepare quickly and easily are as follows:
Unsalted cheese (usually curd or string cheese; if you don’t have these, you can also use cheddar cheese)
- 1 cup semolina
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1.5 cups of water
- 3/4 tea glass of oil
If you have prepared all the ingredients, we can proceed to the preparation of the halva step by step:
- First, grate the cheese and put it in a bowl,
- Put the water, semolina and granulated sugar in a teflon pan and start cooking,
- Stir until the semolina absorbs the water,
- After it has absorbed the water well, add the oil,
- Continue cooking until the mixture does not stick to the spoon,
- When the mixture reaches the desired consistency, make a hole in the center of the halva and place the grated cheese in the center,
- Mix well over low heat,
Place on a serving plate and serve hot – if you are serving the halva with ice cream, you can let it cool for a while.
