Turkish Delight

This classic Ottoman confection features delicate, pillowy cubes of starch-bound sugar infused with fragrant rosewater, bergamot, or roasted pistachios. Dusted in a silky veil of icing sugar and cornflour, each chewy morsel dissolves into a subtle, perfumed sweetness that offers a luxurious, melt-in-the-mouth taste of traditional Turkish confectionery.

Cuisines

Cooking Instructions

Preparation: 12 hours 20 minutes
Cooking: 1 hour

Servings: 8 to 10

Notes:

Simmering the cornflour base and sugar syrup together for a full 45 minutes on low heat is essential for achieving the classic firm, elastic texture.

Rosewater, orange blossom water, or vanilla extract can be used individually or combined for different authentic flavour profiles.

Sifting equal parts icing sugar and cornflour over the set gel prevents the sticky cubes from clumping together.

Pistachios, walnuts, or chopped almonds can be folded into the cooked gel mixture before setting for a crunchy nut variation.

Prepare Sugar Syrup
In a saucepan, combine 800g of granulated sugar, 360ml of water, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-high and cook until the syrup darkens slightly and reaches 115°C to 120°C on a sugar thermometer. Strain carefully through a sieve into a heatproof jug and set aside.

Cook Cornflour Base
In a large heavy-based pot, whisk 125g of cornflour, cream of tartar, and 720ml of water until smooth. Bring to a boil over high heat while whisking constantly, then reduce heat to medium-low until thickened.

Combine and Simmer Gel
Gradually pour the warm sugar syrup into the thickened cornflour mixture, whisking continuously. Cook on low heat for 45 minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture turns golden, thick, and glossy. Stir in the vanilla extract or rosewater and red food colouring.

Set, Slice, and Dust
Line an 20cm baking dish with parchment paper and grease lightly. Pour in the gel mixture, smooth the surface, and chill in the refrigerator overnight to set. The next day, combine the icing sugar and 30g of cornflour. Dust a board with the mixture, invert the set Turkish delight onto it, slice into 24 cubes with a dusted knife, and toss each piece in the sugar-cornflour dusting before serving.