Semolina

[Kitchen Witch]

GNOCCHI DI SEMOLINO

3/4 qt. of milk
9 oz. finely ground semolina
5 oz. butter
2 1/2 oz. grated Parmigiano
1 pinch salt
2 egg yolks


Bring the milk to a boil in a little saucepan with 1 oz. of butter and a pinch of salt. Add semolina little by little, stirring all the while. Continue to stir and cook for about half an hour. Turn off the heat; add 2 tbs. Parmigiano, the egg yolks and stir well. Wet a pastry board or a marble surface and pour out the cooked semolino. Spread with a wet spatula to make a layer about 1/2 inch thick. Let cool.

Melt the remaining butter. Cut the layer of semolino into round pieces, using a round mold about 1 ½-in. in diameter. Arrange the disks in slanted layers in a baking dish, sprinkling each layer with melted butter and Parmigiano. Bake until the top layer is crisp.

[Kitchen Witch]

Semolina Fritters

Quarter pound semolina, one and a half pints of milk, three eggs. Put on the milk, and, as soon as it is boiling, drop the semolina in, in a shower. Let it boil for a few minutes, stirring continually. Then add the yolks of three eggs, and then the whites, which you have already beaten stiff. Pour all on a dish, and cool. Have some boiling lard (it is boiling when it ceases to bubble), and throw into it spoonsful of the mixture. When they are fried golden, take them out, drain them, and sprinkle on some white sugar.

[Kitchen Witch]

Sfouf (Almond Semolina Cake)

Sfouf is a sweet almond cake from Lebanon. This sfouf recipe is easy and delicious!


* 2 cups semolina
* 1 cup flour plus 1 tablespoon
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 cup salted butter, melted
* 1 cup sugar, plus 3 tablespooons
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/2 cup slivered almonds


Preheat oven to 350.

In a mixing bowl, combine semolina, flour, turmeric and baking powder. Stir to combine well.

In a separate bowl, combine butter, sugar, milk and water. Add to dry ingredients and stir to make a paste.

Pour batter into greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with almonds.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes and serve with your favorite coffee or tea.

[Kitchen Witch]

Halvas me Karythia: Semolina Pudding with Walnuts

Although halvas made without milk and butter is a traditional lenten dessert, it's also a favorite at any time. This version is not as sweet as some of the others.


* 3 cups of coarse ground semolina (or farina, or cream of wheat)
* 1 cup of olive oil
* 1 cup of coarsely ground walnuts
* ----------
* For the syrup:
* 7 3/4 cups of water
* 3 1/2 cups of sugar
* 3 sticks of cinnamon
* ----------
* For the topping:
* 1 cup of finely ground walnuts
* 1-2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon



Make the syrup: Add all syrup ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Boil uncovered over medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and set aside to cool.

Make the pudding: In a deep frying pan or pot, add olive oil and heat until hot over medium heat.

Stir in semolina with a wooden spoon and add coarsely ground walnuts. Continue stirring until all the oil has been absorbed and the mixture is fairly dry (5-6 minutes). Remove from heat but don't turn off the burner.

Pour cooled syrup through a strainer into a bowl. Carefully ladle cooled syrup over the pudding mixture (it will spatter), stirring continuously. When syrup has all been added, return pot to medium heat, and stir constantly until bubbles begin to appear. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.

Spoon into a shallow serving dish or baking pan (I use a 10-inch diameter shallow bowl, about 2 1/2-3 inches high). Using the back side of a large spoon, smooth the pudding, exerting slight pressure to make sure there are no air pockets and to create an even surface. Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts and spread them out evenly over the top with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with the ground cinnamon and set aside to cool.

Cut into diamond shapes, squares, small slices, or the shape of your choice to serve. Serve at room temperature.

Halvas keeps well for several days, covered, unrefrigerated.

[Kitchen Witch]

100% Semolina Bread


2 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 5/8 cups warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
4 cups semolina
4 tablespoons olive oil (2T EV)
1 3/4 teaspoons salt



1. Add yeast, flour, sugar, salt, olive oil and the warm water (120F-130F) to the bread machine pan. If necessary, add 1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) to help the yeast feed.
2. Set the bread machine to a 2 lb size and white light, white medium, white dark, whole wheat or french settings.
3. Push start and come back in 3 1/3 to 4 hours.

[Kitchen Witch]

Halvas meh Simigthali: Semolina Pudding with Honey, Nuts & Raisins
onounced hal-VAHSS meh see-meegh-THAH-lee

Halvas made with semolina, nuts, raisins, and cinnamon is a delightful, grainy textured dessert, and one of the more famous Greek sweets. This version is cooked on the stove, placed in a mold to shape, and served at room temperature.


* 2 cups of semolina, coarse grind (or cream of wheat or farina)
* 1 cup of oil
* 2 1/2 cups of sugar
* 1/2 cup of honey
* 5 cups of water
* 1/4 cup of walnuts, crushed
* 1/4 cup of pine nuts
* 1/4 cup of raisins (golden, seedless)
* 3 sticks of cinnamon
* 2-3 cloves, whole
* slice of lemon peel
* sugar for sprinkling
* ground cinnamon for sprinkling


In a saucepan, add water, sugar, honey, lemon peel, cinnamon, and cloves and boil gently for 1-2 minutes. Remove the lemon peel, cinnamon sticks, and cloves, reduce heat to lowest possible.

While the syrup mixture is coming to a boil, start cooking the semolina: Heat oil in a pot or high-sided frying pan over medium heat.

Add the semolina slowly, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the semolina absorbs all the oil. Add crushed walnuts, pine nuts, and raisins, and continue to stir. When the semolina turns a dark gold color, remove the pot from the heat.

Pour the hot syrup over the semolina mixture, taking care not to get burned (it will spatter and boil up). Return to low heat and stir until the mixture become creamy and thick and doesn't stick to the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat, cover with a clean dry towel, and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Spoon the mixture into a mold (pudding, jello or cake type) or large glass bowl and pat down with the back of a large spoon to fill the mold completely and create a level surface. Allow the halvas to cool and turn out onto a platter. Sprinkle with a little sugar and cinnamon, and serve. Yield: about 10 cups