Here is a recipe for Persian Halva that I found somewhere online a while ago:

Persian Halva

Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp ground saffron dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
1/2 tsp ground cardamom

Dough:
2 cups sifted all purpose whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted

Garnish:
2 TB ground pistachios

1. boil water and sugar. Remove from heat, add saffron water, rose water and cardamom, mix well, set aside.

2. In large, deep skillet, toast flour for about 10 minutes over high heat. stir constantly with wooden spoon. Add melted butter (or butter substitute), fry, mix constantly with wooden spoon for 10-15 minutes longer, until golden brown. DO NOT OVER OR UNDER-COOK FLOUR. Remove from heat.

3. Gradually stir syrup into flour/butter, stir quickly, constantly with wooden spoon for 5 minutes.

4. Spread onto flat plate, pack firmly with spoon, decorate with spoon patterns, sprinkle with pistachios. Cover and chill in refrigerator. Cut into small pieces.

Again, whole wheat flour is delicious, but regular white flour can be used. Oil is o.k. instead of butter. Some use an extra 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup sugar with whole wheat flour.

Then online I found this remarkably similar recipe for Halava, except it uses farina and lacks the aromatic additions:

Halava

Ingredients:

1/2 c Ghee
1/2 c Farina
2 c Water
1 c Sugar

Directions:
Melt the ghee very slowly & add the farina. Mix & cook over a low flame until it begins to brown. In the meantime, boil together the water & sugar. Add the toasted farina to the boiled water, turn oven off & cover. Let sit for a few minutes. Add nuts or fruit if you desire.