Turkish Delight

Classic Rosewater and Pistachio Lokum (Turkish Delight)

A traditional Ottoman-style lokum with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth gel set with cornstarch and sweetened with sugar, flavoured with rosewater and lemon, and studded with pistachios. This method uses only a saucepan and a shallow pan, no thermometer required.

Prep

15 min

Cook

45 min

Total

60 min

Serves

30 to 35 pieces (about 700 g / 24 oz)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (2½ cups) granulated sugar, divided, see steps
• •1.2 L (5 cups) water, divided
• •120 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) cornstarch (cornflour)
• •1 tsp cream of tartar (tartaric acid), helps the gel set firmly; can be omitted for a softer set
• •1 tbsp rosewater, use a good-quality, food-grade rosewater; rose extract works at 1 tsp
• •2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, from about 1 small lemon
• •100 g (¾ cup) raw unsalted pistachio kernels, roughly chopped; walnuts are the traditional alternative
• •30 g (¼ cup) icing sugar (powdered sugar), for the coating
• •15 g (1 tbsp) cornstarch (cornflour), extra, for the coating

Steps

1. 1 Lightly oil or line a 20 cm (8 in) square pan with parchment paper and dust with a little cornstarch. Set a wire rack over a tray for the cubes later.
2. 2 Pour 700 ml (3 cups) of the water into a heavy saucepan. Whisk in the 120 g cornstarch and the cream of tartar until completely smooth with no lumps, then stir in 400 g (2 cups) of the sugar. Reserve the remaining 100 g sugar and the remaining 500 ml water for the syrup.
3. 3 Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon, scraping the bottom and corners, until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble, about 10 to 12 minutes. Do not let it catch or brown.
4. 4 While the base is heating, make the syrup in a second saucepan: combine the remaining 500 ml water and 100 g sugar, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Keep warm.
5. 5 Very slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the cornstarch mixture in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Work carefully as the mixture is hot and may splatter. Continue cooking and stirring over medium-low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the mixture becomes very thick, glossy, and pulls away from the sides of the pan in a single mass. Test by dropping a small spoonful onto a cold plate; it should hold its shape and feel like soft jelly, not runny.
6. 6 Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, rosewater, and chopped pistachios. The mixture will foam slightly; keep folding it in until evenly distributed.
7. 7 Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an oiled spatula. Let cool at room temperature for at least 6 hours, or overnight, uncovered, until completely set and firm to the touch. Do not refrigerate while setting or it may weep.
8. 8 Mix the coating ingredients (30 g icing sugar with 15 g cornstarch) in a shallow bowl. Cut the set lokum into roughly 2.5 cm (1 in) cubes with an oiled knife, toss each cube in the sugar-cornstarch mixture until coated on all sides, and place on the rack to dry for 1 to 2 hours so the coating sets.
9. 9 Store in an airtight container at cool room temperature, layered between sheets of parchment, for up to 2 weeks. Do not refrigerate. If the surface becomes slightly tacky after a few days, re-roll the cubes in fresh coating.