Turkish Delight

Ingredients

To Dust

3 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar

3 ½ tablespoons cornstarch

For The Turkish Delight

3 cups superfine or baker’s sugar

1 ¾ cups cold water

1 medium lemon, juiced

½ cup cold water

½ cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch

4 ¾ tablespoons powdered gelatin

1 ½ teaspoons rose water

Red food colouring

Method

Prepare the baking dish

Line an 8 x 8-inch square baking dish with plastic wrap or parchment paper.

Make the dusting mixture

Combine 3 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar and 3 ½ tablespoons cornstarch. Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of this mixture over the base and sides of the baking dish. Set the remaining dusting mixture aside.

Make the sugar syrup

Into a large saucepan set over medium-low heat, add the superfine sugar, lemon juice and 1 ¾ cups water. Heat gently until the sugar is completely dissolved – do not boil or even simmer.

In a small bowl, combine ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch with ½ cup cold water. Whisk into sugar syrup. Sprinkle the gelatin over the sugar syrup and whisk to break up any lumps.

Bring to a boil (you want the liquid to reach 250°F with a candy thermometer), then simmer over a medium heat for 20 minutes, whisking often. The mixture is ready when it thickens and turns pale yellow – like a soft jelly that is just about set.

Flavour and set the candy

Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Stir in the rose water and 1 to 2 drops of red food colouring. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Leave it to set up in a cool place on your countertop overnight.

Cut the Turkish delight

Dust a cutting board with some of the reserved dusting mixture, and then invert the Turkish delight onto it. Remove the dish; peel off the parchment. Use a long sharp knife or a bench scraper to cut straight down from top to bottom. Do not drag the knife through the candy to cut into cubes. Once cut, roll each cube gently in the dusting mixture to coat.

Dry the Turkish delight

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the Turkish delight cubes in a single on the tray with a little space between each cube. Let the Turkish delight air dry for 24 hours to prevent homemade Turkish delight from sweating. Sprinkle the remaining cornstarch mixture over the candy to gently coat each piece and leave it uncovered on your countertop.

Once it’s dried for 24 hours Turkish delight is ready to eat.

The texture is somewhat between a homemade marshmallow and soft jelly.