Turkish Delight

From The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis  

 

Most of us have either read The Chronicles of Narnia or seen the movies, and who could forget that infuriating moment when Edmund sells out his own siblings to the White Witch—all for a box of these sugary little cubes? Honestly, if ever there were a case for legally sanctioned sibling smacking, that might be it.

 

Turkish Delight, also known as lokum or loukoum, is a classic confection made from starch and sugar. It’s usually flavored with rosewater or lemon, with the former having that signature pale pink hue. Soft, jelly-like, and sometimes a little sticky, these treats are traditionally cut into small cubes and dusted with powdered sugar or copra to keep them from sticking together. This recipe sticks to the classic rosewater version, but feel free to experiment with other flavors!

Ingredients

 

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin powder
• 1¾ cups granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoons citric acid
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 teaspoons rose water
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• Food coloring (optional)

 

Directions:

1.  Line a 6-inch square baking tin with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
2. In a small saucepan, add the water and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let it sit until the gelatin becomes slightly springy.
3. Add the sugar and citric acid to the pan. Place over low heat, stirring constantly until everything is dissolved.
4. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for 20 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and let it sit for 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the vanilla extract, rose water, and food coloring (if using). Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin. Leave uncovered in a cool place for 24 hours.
6. Sift the powdered sugar and corn starch onto a sheet of parchment paper. Turn the set Turkish Delight onto the paper and cut it into small squares using a sharp knife.
7. Toss the pieces in the sugar-starch mixture until fully coated. Store in an airtight container lined with parchment paper, dusting with extra powdered sugar and corn starch to prevent sticking.

 

 

Makes 25–30 small (1") squares or 16–20 (1.5") larger squares

This recipe has been reformatted and reworded for clarity. Some minor tweaks have been made to the amounts of ingredients for more consistent results. Also, I’ve tweaked the intro to make it clear that I’m not out here advocating for smacking children... no matter how tempting it may be in certain fictional cases.