Turkish Delight (Lokum)

Step 1

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

Step 2

Make the dusting mixture: Into a small bowl, 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.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

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.

Step 5

Flavor 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 coloring. (If using chopped nuts, stir them in now.) Pour the mixture into the prepared dish.

Step 6

Leave it to set up in a cool place on your countertop overnight. Ten to 12 hours is ideal, but if you’d like it to set even more you can leave it for up to 24 hours.

Step 7

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.

Step 8

Decorate with glitter: If using, go ahead and sprinkle the edible glitter over the Turkish delight.

Step 9

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.

Step 10

Enjoy and store: Homemade Turkish delight is best enjoyed when fresh, though it keeps well stored in a dry place for up to 1 month. Layer the candy between sheets of parchment in an airtight container on your countertop in a cool, dry place away from light and heat. Make sure there is a little space between each piece of Turkish delight.