This Turkish delight recipe is a little time consuming as it needs time to set but well worth the wait. Turkish Delight is generally served with Turkish Coffee.

Recipe for Turkish Delight – Lokum

How to make Turkish Delight

Ingredients

1. Line an oven tray preferably 30 x 20 cm with baking paper.

Turkish Delight Method

1. Into a large heavy based saucepan, pour 2 1/2 cups of water and bring to boil.
2. Add the caster sugar, place your temperature themometer to the syrup and stir until completely dissolved and it reaches 125 degrees. Remove from heat.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the cornflour, cream of tartar with 1 cup of cold water.
4. Slowly add this cornflour mixture to the sugar syrup whisking continuously to ensure you remove any lumps.
5. If you get lumps, sieve the mixture into another saucepan.
6. Return the saucepan on a medium heat and keep stirring until it comes to boil.
7. Reduce to a low heat and simmer for 45 minutes, ensuring you stir it ever 1-2 minutes.
8. The color will change from being a little murky and will become clear and golden as it thickens.
9. After about 45 minutes, your Turkish delight mixture should be thick enough to draw a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan to leave a path which should close up in 10 seconds.
10. Cook for another 15 minutes or so.

Testing your Turkish Delight mixture

You’ll know when the mixture is ready by two ways:

• When you draw your spoon across the bottom of the saucepan, the mixture is so thick that it no longer closes up.
• In a cold glass of water, add a small drop of the mixture. Leave it for a minute or so then remove it out with a spoon and taste it to test the firmness. The mixture is ready when the droplet holds its shape well. When you bite into it, it should be slightly chewy and not dissolve in your mouth. When testing Do Not put the mixture in your mouth without dropping it in the water. You’ll burn yourself.

Turkish Delight Flavorings

1. Add the rosewater and pistachios and pour into oven tray lined with baking paper.
2. Smooth over the top so its level and even.
3. Leave to set uncovered in a cool place but not the fridge.

Cubing and Powdering the Turkish Delight

1. Sift a thick coating of icing sugar over the Turkish delight.
2. On a smooth surface, sift a layer of icing sugar and flip the tray over onto it.
3. Remove the tray and the baking paper and sift a thick layer of icing sugar to the remaining sides of the Turkish delight.
4. Using a hot wet knife, cut into cubes (size as you wish). Continue icing all the sticky sides as you go.

Storage

1. Store the Turkish Delight with lots of extra icing sugar in an air tight container.
2. To stop them from sticking, either store them in single layers or place baking paper with another thick layer of icing sugar in between the Turkish Delight cubes.
3. Do not store Turkish delight in the fridge as it will get sticky due to the released moisture.

Cook’s Tips

1. Ensure you have a sugar thermometer for this Turkish Delight Recipe.
2. Careful not to add too much Rose water. If heavy handed with it, you’ll feel like your eating perfume or soap rather than a delicate bite of delight.
3. For best results, leave the gelatine Turkish delight to set overnight.
4. Hold a knife under hot water running water for a minute to heat it up.

Serve with Turkish coffee.

Find more traditional Turkish desserts and a great range of other  Turkish Recipes.

Turkish Delight

By Reyhan Yesilnacar on 07/30/2011

Prep Time: 8 hours

Cook Time: 1 minute

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