Macedonian Halvah

Ingredients

• 2 cups Sugar
• 6 egg yolks
• 5 oz. hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and ground (about 2 cups)
• 3 1/2 oz almonds, blanched, peeled and ground (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 16 Tbsp. butter (1/2 lb.) cut into small pieces
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• edible rice paper = ALVA

Directions

1. Cook HALF of the Sugar without water to the caramel stage (320 to 350 F. on candy thermometer), let it cool on a marble slab or platter sprinkled with water, and then pound it to a powder in a mortar.
2. Whisk the rest of the Sugar with the egg yolks until the mixture is frothy. Add the ground nuts and the butter. Put the mixture into a bowl set over a saucepan of hot water, and beat it until it forms a thick paste. Add the vanilla extract and cocoa powder. Remove the bowl from the hot water, stir until the mixture cools, and then mix it thoroughly with the pounded caramelized Sugar.
3. Spread the mixture over a piece of edible rice paper, place another piece of rice paper on top, and press the mixture down evenly with a heavy weight. Leave it in a cool place for a few hours. Remove the weight and cut the halvah into bars.