We all like a sweet or too, sticky indulgence that we know we really shouldn’t eat but oh just so have too. One of my dad’s favourites is Turkish delight. (Known as rahat lokum meaning giving rest to the throat). It’s pretty with its subtle soft colours and aromatic flavouring plus is a lovely thing to make at home and give out when our friends come and visit at Yule.
To make you will need:
3 tbs gelatine powder
400g sugar
1 tsp rosewater or to taste
2-3 drops of red food colouring
2 teaspoons cornflour
200g icing sugar
An 18 cm square cake tin wetted with water
Put 300ml water into a heavy based saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat then sprinkle in the gelatine and stir with metal spoon until melted. Add the sugar and stir continuously until dissolved
Return to the boil and continue boiling for 10 mins. Remove from the heat and stir in the rosewater and colouring.
Strain through sieve lined with muslin into the prepared cake tin and let cool. Leave to stand overnight to set.
Next day, sift the cornflour and icing sugar into a bowl, then sprinkle a thick layer onto a work surface. Transfer remaining powder mixture into a plastic bag.
Remove the Turkish Delight from the cake tin, loosening the edges if necessary with a wet knife and dipping the base of the tin into hot water for a few seconds. Turn out onto coated work surface and cut into 3cm squares.
Put the squares into the bag, together with any sugar mix left on the work surface, seal the bag and shake well until they are thick and evenly covered.
Pack into an airtight container and sprinkle over any remaining sugar mix.
Variations:
Orange Delight: Instead of the rosewater and red colouring add 1 tbs strained orange juice, 1 tsp orange flower water and 1 tbs ground crystallized orange rind at the same time as the sugar, prceed as above.
Lemon Nut Delight: Instead of the rosewater and red colouring stir through 1 tbs strained lemon juice. When mixture is beginning to set carefully stir through 40g blanched, chopped almonds or pistachios and proceed as main recipe.
To make you will need:
3 tbs gelatine powder
400g sugar
1 tsp rosewater or to taste
2-3 drops of red food colouring
2 teaspoons cornflour
200g icing sugar
An 18 cm square cake tin wetted with water
Put 300ml water into a heavy based saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat then sprinkle in the gelatine and stir with metal spoon until melted. Add the sugar and stir continuously until dissolved
Return to the boil and continue boiling for 10 mins. Remove from the heat and stir in the rosewater and colouring.
Strain through sieve lined with muslin into the prepared cake tin and let cool. Leave to stand overnight to set.
Next day, sift the cornflour and icing sugar into a bowl, then sprinkle a thick layer onto a work surface. Transfer remaining powder mixture into a plastic bag.
Remove the Turkish Delight from the cake tin, loosening the edges if necessary with a wet knife and dipping the base of the tin into hot water for a few seconds. Turn out onto coated work surface and cut into 3cm squares.
Put the squares into the bag, together with any sugar mix left on the work surface, seal the bag and shake well until they are thick and evenly covered.
Pack into an airtight container and sprinkle over any remaining sugar mix.
Variations:
Orange Delight: Instead of the rosewater and red colouring add 1 tbs strained orange juice, 1 tsp orange flower water and 1 tbs ground crystallized orange rind at the same time as the sugar, prceed as above.
Lemon Nut Delight: Instead of the rosewater and red colouring stir through 1 tbs strained lemon juice. When mixture is beginning to set carefully stir through 40g blanched, chopped almonds or pistachios and proceed as main recipe.
