I love Turkish Delight for its unique texture and flavours, and it's a bit like marmite for many. For the past few years, Turkish Delight has been my go-to homemade gift for various occasions including Christmas, as well as weddings and parties. It's super easy to make and you can easily switch rosewater for anything such as lemon extract, peppermint extract or orange extract, however, it's one of those recipes you need to pay attention to whilst making as I'll explain throughout the instructions.
Turkey
Signature dish
Rose, Lemon & Mint Turkish Delight
50g (1.75 oz) gelatine
1kg (35 oz) granulated sugar
2-3 tsp natural flavouring (rosewater, lemon extract or peppermint extract)
Few drops of food colouring (red, yellow or green)
4 tbsp icing sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
18cm (7in) square sandwich tin
1kg (35 oz) granulated sugar
2-3 tsp natural flavouring (rosewater, lemon extract or peppermint extract)
Few drops of food colouring (red, yellow or green)
4 tbsp icing sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
18cm (7in) square sandwich tin
Step 1
Pour 600ml (1 pint) water into a pan and add the gelatine and make sure the water covers it completely. Leave the gelatine to blossom for approximately 5 mins and then place the pan on a low heat and stir continuously until the gelatine melts. Add the granulated sugar and stir until it has dissolved. Next, increase the heat and bring the mixture to the boil and as soon as you see it bubbling, reduce the heat and simmer gently for approximately 30 mins.
Recommendation - Do make sure you keep a careful eye on this step because if your pan boils over you've got a sticky mess all over your hob and pan, which is quite difficult to remove!
Recommendation - Do make sure you keep a careful eye on this step because if your pan boils over you've got a sticky mess all over your hob and pan, which is quite difficult to remove!
Step 2
You may notice there is a hard, sugary rind layering the top of the mixture, however, this is perfectly normal. As long as the mixture (underneath) is fairly clear, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flavouring of your choice. If you're using peppermint extract, make sure you use a teaspoon less, because it can be quite overpowering. Next, add a few drops of food colouring relevant to your flavouring and stir it until you've got a dusky colour. Lightly wet the sandwich tin with cold water, then pour in your mixture from the pan. Leave this in a cool place to set overnight.
Step 3
On the next day, sift the icing sugar and cornflour together into a large bowl and provide a dusting of it on your counter or a large board. Ease out the set Turkish Delight from your tin on the icing sugar mixture. Using a long knife with a damp blade, cut the jelly into 3cm (1¼ inch) squares. Then, coat the squares the remaining icing sugar and cornflour mixture and make sure that the squares aren't sticking to each other.
Step 4
Finally, store your Turkish Delight in a cardboard box (or alternative tub), lined with baking paper, in a single layer, dusted with a little extra icing sugar mixture. If you're making these as homemade gifts, these look great packed into bags or individual boxes. Keep them stored in a cool, dry place for up to a week.
