Any Flavor Turkish Delight

Submitted by Monkey_Girl

"This appealing candy is easy to make at home. Rosewater can be found at specialty food stores. When the sugar syrup boils, coat the inside of the saucepan with a brush dipped in water to prevent sugar crystals from forming."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 10mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Serves: 80-100

ingredients

• 4 cups sugar
• 4 1⁄2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 1⁄4 cups cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons rose water
• 1 -10 drop red food coloring (optional)
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

directions

1. Oil a 9-inch square pan. Line with plastic wrap and oil the plastic wrap.
2. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, 1 1/2 cups of the water, and the lemon juice. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture boils. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, without stirring, until the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage (240°F on a candy thermometer). Remove the pan from the heat.
3. In a second large heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir together 1 cup cornstarch and the cream of tartar. Gradually stir in the remaining 3 cups of water until no lumps remain. Stir constantly, until the mixture boils and is a thick, gluey paste.
4. Slowly pour the hot sugar, water, and lemon juice syrup into the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often to prevent sticking, for about 1 hour, or until the mixture has become a pale golden color.
5. Stir in the rosewater and tint as desired with food coloring. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Cool to room temperature and let stand, uncovered, overnight to set.
6. Sift the confectioners sugar and the remaining 1/4 cup cornstarch onto a large cutting board. Turn the Turkish delight out and cut into 1-inch squares with an oiled knife. Roll pieces in the sugar mixture to coat well. Store in an airtight container with sheets of waxed paper, dusted with the sugar mixture, separating every layer.

Reviews

[Christopher T.]

Good basic recipe, but it's temperamental. Often the result will be too soft and wet. At the last cooking, when the paste has reached the amber color, take a spoonful and dip it into ice water to cool. Test to see if it is as firm as you want, if not cook some more. Repeat until firm but tender.

 

[lpalmernz]

After failing at a different recipe I tried this knowing that if I didn't cook it long enough it would be a gluggy mess...so I cooked the crap out of it and went by the recipe and it's turned out amazing...I don't even like turkish delight as this was for my dad but this recipe was yum! Thanks!

 

[gtbsender]

Absolutely loved the taste, texture, smell and the shape of the delight in this recipe. Since my last visit to Grand Turkish Bazaar on 2019 before covid times, I was buying my delights from grandturkishbazaar.com But after that recipe, I see that how easy to make it at home on my own. Thank you!! :)

 

[Yankiwi]

Although the concoction had to be stirred for an hour it was a very easy candy recipe to make. A few hours after coating the pieces in the sugar/cornstarch mixture, all the coating had melted and the outside of each piece had become a gluey mess. I laid the pieces out on a rack and let them dry for a few days. Then I made a new coating, 50-50 sugar and cornstarch which is a bit starchy but doens't melt. Before serving (or giving as a gift) I will shake some more powdered sugar over the pieces. I will probably make this recipe once a year before Christmas. It is too dangerous for the waistline to make candy often!

 

[suzettesails]

I wanted to make this recipe but I am off the beaten track in Mexico. What to do? I made this recipe Mexican style! I subbed a strong decoction of Jamaica flowers (hibiscus) for the water content and used 1/4 teaspoon of local vanilla to enhance the sweetness. Because Jamaica is already quite tart, I omitted the lemon juice. Delicious! This recipe really does work with any flavor and using fruit juice in place of the water ensures there are no chemical flavors like you might get with flavoring extracts. For my next batch I intend to try mango with lime, rolled in coconut. One day, perhaps, I will get to try rose water. : )