turkish delight

The Tastiest Turkish Delight Recipe - Soft, slightly squishy, perfectly sweet Turkish Delight is a classic candy that is incredibly easy to make at home. Customize this recipe with your favorite flavors for the best homemade Lokum AKA Turkish Delight!

The Tastiest Turkish Delight Recipe

sugar

water (divided)

lemon juice

cornstarch

cream of tartar

rosewater ((optional))

raspberry extract

orange extract

salt

pistachios ((optional))

red food coloring ((optional))

Set two large 4-6 quart stock pots on the stovetop. Attach a candy thermometer onto one pot. Then set out a 9X9 inch baking dish. Line it neatly with foil, then spray it generously with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Pour 4 cups of sugar and 1 ½ cups of water in the pot with the thermometer. Set on high heat and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until the sugar syrup reaches 240 degrees F.

Meanwhile, pour the remaining 2 ¾ cups water in the second pot. Whisk in the lemon juice, cornstarch and cream of tartar, making sure there are NO clumps. Turn the heat on high and continue whisking until the mixture forms a thick white paste that resembles petroleum jelly. Again, whisk well to insure there are NO clumps.

Once the sugar syrup reaches the desired temperature, slowly and carefully pour the hot syrup into the cornstarch paste, a little at a time, making sure there are NO clumps. (This is safest with two sets of hands.)

Then turn the heat back to medium and simmer for approximately 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture looks like thick golden-orange jelly.

Turn off the heat, stir in the rosewater, raspberry extract, orange extract, and salt. Add food coloring if desired. Then pour half of the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Quickly sprinkle with chopped pistachios, then pour the remaining candy mixture over the top before it cools and becomes too thick to pour. (Two sets of hands in nice here as well. If you don’t care that the pistachios are directly in the center of the candy, you can simply mix them into the candy mixture and pour it in the pan all at once.)

Place the dish in the refrigerator and chill for 30-60 minutes, until firm.

Turn the Turkish delight out of the dish and peel off the foil. Use a sharp knife (or kitchen shears) to cut the candy into approximately 100 tiny squares.

Add powdered sugar to the empty baking dish. As you cut the candy pieces, give them a good shake in the powdered sugar to coat them on all sides.

The candy should be somewhat hard after chilling, but will soften as it sits at room temperature.

Aromatic, sweet + soft, rose Turkish Delight (lokum) is really simple to make, and is a luxurious treat any day of the year, not just at Christmas time!

Simple Rose-Flavoured Turkish Delight

½ tsp cream of tartar

water

65 g cornflour (, (cornstarch))

½ tbsp rosewater

sugar (, (confectioner’s sugar))

tbsp cornflour

Candy thermometer

suitable receptacle

neutral oil (, for greasing)

baking parchment

Electric hand mixer

Place the sugar, lemon juice, and 185ml (¾ cup) of the water into a heavy-based pan over a medium heat.

Stir constantly, until the sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil, and brush down the inside of the pan with cold water (this will stop crystals forming). Insert the thermometer - don’t let it rest on the bottom of the pan though, or you’ll get a false reading.

Boil the syrup (keep stirring), until it reaches 115°C (240°F). (This is the soft ball stage. If you’re not using a thermometer, you will need to test the syrup by dropping a teaspoonful into a glass of cold water. If it forms a soft ball, the syrup is ready. It should take anywhere between 10-15 minutes to reach this stage.)

Remove the pan from the heat. The syrup will be a light gold colour.

Prepare the syrup:

While the syrup is cooling slightly, place the rest of the water (250ml / 1 cup + 2 tsp) into another heavy-based pan over a medium heat, along with the cream of tartar (to stop the sugar crystallising), and the cornflour. Whisk to make sure there are no lumps.

Whisk the mixture constantly, until it boils, and you have a very thick paste. Turn off the heat.

Carefully, and slowly, pour the syrup into the cornflour paste, a little at a time, making sure to keep whisking. Once you’ve added in all the syrup, whisk a little more to ensure that there are no lumps, and you have a smooth, golden, semi-translucent paste.

Scrape down the sides of the pan, or else you’ll get crusty stuff falling into the paste.

Over a medium heat, and stirring all the time, slowly bring the paste to a boil.

Turn the heat down to its lowest setting, and gently simmer for an hour or so, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking. The paste will now be a deep golden colour. Turn off the heat, mix in the rosewater and food colouring (if using).

Oil the dish or baking tin, and line with baking parchment. Oil the baking parchment.

Pour the Turkish Delight into the prepared dish, and give it a bit of a shake to ensure the mixture gets right into the corners.

Cover with a piece of oiled baking parchment, and leave for around five to six hours to cool and set.

Make the Turkish Delight:

When it’s ready, it will feel firm, and slightly tacky on top.

Sift together the icing sugar and the rest of the cornflour into a large bowl, then sieve some of this over the surface of the Turkish Delight, until it’s all covered.

Sieve more icing sugar/cornflour over a large chopping board or work surface.

Turn out the Turkish Delight onto the powder, and gently peel away the baking parchment. Sieve more of the icing sugar mix over the surface.

Using a large oiled knife, cut the Turkish Delight into 36 cubes. I’ve been told that a pizza cutter works really well for this.

Place each cube of Turkish Delight into the bowl with the rest of the icing sugar mix, and toss them around to ensure they are all well-coated.

Store at room temperature in between sheets of baking parchment, and covered with the rest of the icing sugar/cornflour mixture in a container with a loosely-fitting lid.

Finish the Turkish Delight:

Thank you....thank you....thank you!!!! I have tried so many recipes with varying levels of failure. So at last to find an authentic recipe that works perfectly (and I really do mean PERFECTLY!!!). Just following the steps exactly and I ended up with a beautifully soft consistency. Even my sugar thermometer hit the 115degC mark at the 1 hour. Did I say 'Thank you'?...if not...Thank you!!!

Hi just made some and flavoured with rosewater, tasted lovely in the pan, lol. It's setting now and I will leave until the morning. irst time of making it so fingers crossed.
I always buy some at Christmas and fancied making it myself to give as gifts.  xx

Growing up reading The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe I assumed the enchanting, bewitching Turkish delight that Edmund wished for was – like the book – fictitious, unaware that it had existed in the Middle East since at least the 1800s. This fact doesn’t make this sticky, highly scented sweet any less mysterious. Science is at the basis of this glorious treat, for when sugar is mixed with starch a gelatinous texture forms, which is then flavoured (most commonly with rosewater) and set. The result? A chewy yet delicate jelly-like treat that’s as unique as it is crave-worthy. 
How do you make Turkish delight at home?
Making this treat (Also known as lokum) at home is highly achievable. All you need is to invest in a candy thermometer and follow this recipe. Serve these sugar-dusted, jewel-like squares with a strong coffee as a midday snack or as an after dinner treat. Our Turkish delight recipe makes a generous 60 pieces, so pop them in a decorative box and you have a lovely edible gift.
Hungry for more Turkish cuisine? Check out our collection of delicious Turkish sweets and 19 of our favourite savoury Turkish recipes.
Additional recipe notes by Alison Adams - Food Writer and Recipe Tester


Turkish delight recipe

967.50 gm caster sugar

250.00 gm cold water

37.50 gm powdered gelatine

250.00 gm hot water

130.00 gm cornflour

Red food colouring

tsp rosewater essence

150.00 gm icing sugar mixture

Step 1

Grease a 3.5cm, 16cm x 26cm slice pan with oil. Line with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang on all sides.

Step 2

Place caster sugar and cold water in a large heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes or until sugar has dissolved.

Step 3

Place candy thermometer in pan. Increase heat to medium. Bring to the boil. Boil, without stirring, occasionally brushing down side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water, for 18 to 20 minutes or until candy thermometer reaches 116C (soft ball). Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes, maintaining 116C (soft ball) on thermometer. Remove from heat.

Step 4

Place gelatine in a heatproof jug. Add hot water, stirring until gelatine dissolves. Place cornflour in a large heatproof bowl. Add gelatine mixture. Stir until smooth. Tint mixture pale pink with red food colouring.

Step 5

Gradually add cornflour mixture to hot sugar syrup, whisking until smooth. Place pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until mixture is translucent. Remove from heat. Strain mixture into a large heatproof bowl. Using a large metal spoon, skim any scum from surface. Stir in rosewater essence. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Stand, uncovered, overnight at room temperature to set.

Step 6

Lightly dust a flat surface with some of the icing sugar. Turn out Turkish delight onto prepared surface. Quickly and firmly pull baking paper to remove. Place remaining icing sugar in a bowl. Using a lightly greased knife, cut Turkish delight into 60 pieces. Transfer to bowl. Working in batches, toss to coat in icing sugar (see Notes). Serve.

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