Greek Halva (Spiced Semolina Pudding)

For The Syrup:

1. Add the water and sugar for the syrup in a cooking pot and heat over high heat.
2. Once the syrup starts to boil reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the Halva.

For The Halva:

1. Add the olive oil to a tall cooking pot or stockpot. Note: The pot shouldn't be too shallow because when semolina gets cooked it bubbles a lot. Therefore, you have to give it some space in order to not burn yourself or anything to escape out of the pot.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it is very hot but not smokey hot. Add the semolina and cook stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Once the semolina starts to get some color, stir constantly for a few minutes until it gets a light brown color all over. Take the pot off the heat and pour very carefully the syrup in the semolina. Do this by adding big spoonfuls of the syrup, using a ladle, and stirring the semolina with the wooden spoon after adding each spoonful. You have to be very careful at this point because once you start to add the syrup the semolina will bubble a lot.
3. Once all the syrup is added to the pot, add the pot back on the heat. Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir constantly. After a few minutes, the semolina will absorb all of the syrup and start to become sticky. Cook until it feels like it starts to stick at the bottom of the pot.
4. Remove from heat and transfer the mixture immediately to a fluted tube cake pan (no need to grease it). Press it inside the pan (to remove any air) and flatten the surface on top with a spoon. Let the Halva reach room temperature before unmolding. To unmold the halva just turn the cake pan on a serving plate and wait a few seconds. It should fall down on its own. Otherwise, pat the pan a bit.
5. Serve the Halva drizzled with honey and extra almonds on top.
6. You may store in a cake tin or food container at room temperature for up to a week. Since it does not contain any dairy it won't spoil. Plus syrup helps to preserve it nicely!