My Cookbook: Souk to Table 
Homemade Turkish Delight (Optional Pistachios)
Turkish delight, or lokum, is a sweet, soft jelly candy that is a classic Turkish treat originating from the Ottoman Empire. Made with sugar, starch, and a variety of flavorings like rosewater and pistachio, it’s dusted with powdered sugar to prevent sticking. This iconic treat has a delicate balance of sweetness and texture that is easier to make than you think with just a few simple ingredients.
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The Dessert Most Gifted Amongst Arabs: Turkish Delight
I’m not sure what it is about Turkish delight, but any time we have visitors from abroad or friends and family that visit the middle east and come back, they always bring a box of Turkish delight. In fact, my husband and I also do the same thing! Perhaps it’s the sheer beauty of this middle eastern dessert that makes it a perfect gift, or maybe its because rarely anyone ever makes it at home.
But with this recipe… you can now make it! It’s not that complicated, and rather fun to make. You will need to use gelatin, but don’t be intimidated by it. If you’ve ever strolled the streets of Istanbul, you’ll see these sold at local and more elaborate dessert shops like Hafiz Mustafa, displayed in large piles in all kinds of different flavours.
Try serving them alongside other sweet treats like my cardamom cookies, Turkish baklawa or crunchy luqaimat.
There are so many variations! Change up the flavouring by using vanilla extract, coconut or lemon. Try adding other nuts like walnut or almonds instead of pistachios or simply leave them out. You can also dust them with desiccated coconut instead of the powdered sugar mixture. Have fun with it!
Important Notes on Ingredients
Most of these ingredients you will have in your pantry but lets go over a few of them that may not be as common.
- Cream of Tartar: the cream of tartar helps to prevent the sugar from crystallizing and maintain its jelly-like texture. A good substitute is citric acid but cream of tartar is still preferable.
- Gelatin: Gelatin is not a traditional ingredient, however it really helps to speed up the process and it ensures it will set easily, regardless of humidity or other outside factors. No need for a candy thermometer or anything fancy! You can choose to omit it but the cooking time will be longer.
- Food Colouring: I use a traditional red but the sky is the limit! Feel free to experiment with other colours. I also use the liquid version as it’s most readily available. If you use a powdered or gel food colouring you will need to adjust how much you use as they are more concentrated.
- Pistachios: I absolutely am obsessed with pistachios and really only enjoy Turkish delight when it has loads of pistachios. Feel free to use any combination of nuts that you like or even omit them for a nut-free option.
Day One of Making Turkish Delight
Candy making can be a little daunting but you do not need any fancy equipment or even a candy thermometer to make these. It does take some time though, so let’s walk through it.
Start by lining an 8 by 8 inch square pan with parchment paper. Spray with a neutral flavoured oil spray to make sure it does not stick. Sprinkle with a generous amount of chopped pistachios.
Combine the 2/3 cup of water with the sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan on medium low heat. You want the sugar to completely dissolve and then cook on low heat for 20 minutes until glossy and thickened.
Meanwhile, combine the 1 cup of water with the cornstarch, cream of tartar and gelatin. Mix well to fully combine and ensure there are no lumps.
Pour the cornstarch mixture into the sugar mixture and start whisking. Be careful as the sugar syrup may bubble up, wear kitchen gloves just in case! Whisk every 5 minutes while it continues to cook on low heat for 20 minutes (30 minutes if you are not using gelatin).
The colour will change from a cloudy mixture to a more light golden brown glossy colour and it will become stretchy and thick. Make sure you are consistently whisking the mixture as you do not want any hard cooked bits to form as they will be unpleasant to eat.
Now you can add in your food colour along with the chopped pistachios or any other add-ins.
Mix well, pour into the prepared pan. Work quickly to smooth out the mixture before it starts to set. Press in the pistachios gently and carefully. Allow it to sit on the counter at room temperature uncovered. Do not refrigerate, that will cause condensation to form and will compromise the texture.
Day Two of Making Turkish Delight
The next day, combine the cornstarch and powdered sugar and dust a generous amount of the mixture over your work surface. Flip or lay out the Turkish delight onto your work surface.
Generously dust over the powdered sugar mixture. Lightly spray oil on a large sharp knife to prevent sticking. Cut into 36 square sized pieces. You can additionally place it into a bowl with the rest of the powdered sugar mixture and gently shake to fully coat the pieces.
Storage Instructions
Store the Turkish delights in an airtight container at room temperature with parchment paper between every layer. It will last for up to 1 month if stored correctly. You can also freeze the Turkish delight in an airtight container for a few months. Defrost at room temperature.
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Homemade Turkish Delight (Optional Pistachios)
Ingredients
For the Lokum
- 2 cups granulated sugar, 400g
- 2/3 cup water, 150ml
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2/3 cup cornstarch, 100g
- 1 cup water, 250ml
- 1/8th teaspoon cream of tartar, or citric acid
- 3 tablespoons gelatin powder (if using), 25g
- 1 tablespoon rose water, or other flavouring
- 2-6 drops liquid red food colouring, adjust based on type of food colouring used
- 1 1/2 cups chopped unsalted pistachios (or other add-ins, omit if not using), 205g, divided
For Dusting
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 25g
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
Prepare an 8 by 8 inch square pan by lining it with aluminum foil or parchment paper and spray with a neutral oil. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 cup of the chopped pistachios. Set aside.- In a small saucepan, pour the sugar, 2/3 cup water and lemon juice. Turn on the heat to medium low and allow the sugar to dissolve. When the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes until the mixture is glossy and has thickened. Low heat will help to evaporate the liquid without burning the sugar.
- Meanwhile mix together the cornstarch, 1 cup of water, cream of tartar, and gelatin powder. If you are not using gelatin, leave it out. Whisk to get rid of any lumps and slowly start adding this mixture to the sugar pot while continuously whisking. Wear a kitchen glove at this step to prevent any splatter from getting on you. Continue to whisk occasionally on medium to low heat every 5 minutes for 20 minutes. If you are not using gelatin you will need to cook the mixture for longer, 30 to 35 minutes. Keep whisking consistently to prevent any lumps from forming. The cornstarch will first dissolve, then the mixture will turn almost transparent before turning a light golden brown colour. It will become stretchy, thick and gluey.
- At this point you can test the consistency of the candy by dipping a spoonful in cold ice water. The candy should thicken and form a ball.
- Turn off the heat and add the rose water and red food colouring. Stir to combine. Add in 1/2 cup of the chopped pistachios and mix well. Pour the mixture in the prepared pan. Working quickly, spread and smooth out the mixture. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup of the chopped pistachios and quickly and carefully press them into the base to ensure they stick well. Keep uncovered on the counter at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.
- The next day, mix the powdered sugar and the cornstarch together in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mixture evenly over a clean surface. Flip or place the Turkish delight on to it and remove the parchment or foil paper. Dust the top with an additional 1/3 of the powdered sugar mixture. Use an oiled knife to cut the Turkish delight into 36 small squares. Place in a bowl and dust with the remaining 1/3 of the powdered sugar mixture and gently shake to ensure all sides are coated to prevent stickiness.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature with parchment paper between every layer. It will keep up to 1 month.
Notes
- You can replace cream of tartar (which is preferable) with citric acid as a stabilizer and to prevent the sugar from crystallizing.
- Feel free to experiment with other add-ins like walnuts, rose petals or almonds. You can also use other flavourings such as orange blossom, vanilla or lemon.
- The amount of food colouring depends on its form and intensity (gels, liquid…). Start with one drop and add more until the colour reaches your preference. Experiment with other colours like yellow and orange.
- If you are not using the gelatin and they are melting or losing their shape at room temperature, it is likely that it needs more cooking time for the water to evaporate.
- Gelatin is added to this recipe to cut the cooking time and to ensure they hold their shape.
- If you would like a more cube like shape, double the recipe so that the pieces have more height
- It can be stored for up to 1 month at room temperature.