For an online cooking challenge on literature, I immediately thought of CS Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which we recently studied, because of intriguing references to Turkish Delight.
In the book, the witch entices Edmund with the confection, who cannot seem to resist, and thus the plot thickened!
Curious as to what this delicacy could possibly be, my daughter and I decided to try making some from scratch with this recipe.
TURKISH DELIGHT HISTORY
The authentic location to purchase Turkish Delight, or Lokum as it’s called in Turkey, is a Turkish store that continues to be run by descendants of the creator of the enticing confection, Haci Bekir.
They can even be ordered on-line.
I’ve read that Haci Bekir, whose store bears his name, created Lokum in 1777.
Lokum was previously made a bit differently, with honey, molasses, flour, and water.
However, when the newly imported beet sugar arrived in Turkey, Haci Bekir (a name he earned after a pilgrimage), reworked the old recipe with a combination of water, sugar, and cornstarch.
This “firm, chewy jelly” (as The Telegraph accurately describes it), so delighted the sultan that Haci Bekir became chief confectioner of the Ottoman Court.
As a result he traveled the world and earned accolades that are now displayed at the Haci Bekir confectionary in Turkey, the family business that continues to operate five generations later.
In the 19th century, a British gentleman traveled to Turkey and brought some Lokum home with him.
However, he called it Turkish Delight.
CHOOSING THE FLAVORING
An excellent name for this confection that is unlike anything else I’ve ever tasted.
My homemade version perfectly matches the description of the Turkish confection, that of a soft gelatin-like nature (although no gelatin is used) with a subtle flavor.
For flavoring I chose the traditional rosewater, although I’ve read that orange and lemon are also traditional flavors.
Today many more flavors abound such as cherry, mint, and pistachio are common.
I shared a plate with my neighbor and the grandbaby wanted more!
Although rosewater indeed smells like Grandma’s bathroom soap, using a mere hint keeps it from tasting like her soap.
As we tasted our work in stages, we thought, “Okay, that is doable.”
By the time we arrived at the final product, it was interestingly tasty. Not too sweet. Not too strong. Not chewy.
My daughter said it melted in her mouth.
However I must say, that as I write this report, I am intrigued by all the other flavor possibilities and want to make many more versions.
MAKING TURKISH DELIGHT IN THREE DAYS
My daughter and I started making this on Thursday afternoon and today, Saturday, we finally finished.
This three-day process obviously needs lots of patience!
Also Thursday and Friday were high humidity days due to lots of rain.
Since Turkish Delight is a confection that needs to dry out, it either needs more time to dry out or a boost of cornstarch to absorb the moisture.
DAY ONE
Here is the first stage, where the sugar water mixture needed to come to soft boil stage.
We used the old fashioned ice water method to test for the soft ball stage of candy…seen at the 9:00 section of the ice water.
I picked it up and put it in my daughter’s hand.
Although it did not pick up in a perfect ball, it easily formed a ball when I laid it in her hand.
This was our cornstarch/water/cream of tarter mixture, which was so stiff the wooden spoon could stand straight up.
Needing to switch to larger pots, I stirred the syrup mixture into the cornstarch mixture.
To the mixture I added rosewater which I had purchased at the Colonial Williamsburg historic shop, The Greenhow Store.
Haki Bakir’s best-selling flavor of Turkish Delight dates back to the sultan’s first taste in 1777… rosewater.
I also added a few drops of red food coloring, with the goal to make pink…again like the sultan’s.
Greasing a large sheet cake pan, I knew this would make more and thinner pieces, but I hoped it would help the humidity problem by drying out quicker.
DAY TWO
The next morning, Friday morning, I could see the candy pulling away from the sides of the pan, which looked like it was losing excess moisture.
Finally on Friday evening I sprinkled cornstarch all over it, because it was still sweating.
A few hours later, the top finally felt dry.
Putting a parchment paper length onto a large cookie sheet, I inverted it on top of the pan and flipped it over to dust with cornstarch.
Then I covered it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, since the plastic wrap didn’t stick to the pan, to keep from enticing ants.
DAY THREE
Saturday morning, I removed the plastic wrap and aluminum foil to felt the top of the candy, which was now dry!
After spraying a dough scraper with Pam cooking spray, I cut the candy into squares. (In hindsight I probably should have dpped the dough scraper into cornstarch, instead.)
Although the candy had felt dry, as I carefully pulled them off the paper, it was obviously moist underneath and inside.
Thus, I coated each side of the confection into a bowl of cornstarch, as recommended, then spread them apart to dry.
Finally, I coated each piece, all over, in a confectioner sugar/cornstarch mixture, then again spaced them out, to dry.
SHARING SAMPLES
When my daughter’s manager found out about the candy making last night, she recognized the name from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
Since she asked for a sample, I sent some to work with my daughter tonight.
My daughter is now home and said the manager asked about the subtle flavor…which oddly reminded her of…roses!
She was quite surprised by the unexpected texture.
INDESCRIBABLE BEGUILEMENT
It’s indescribable because it’s like nothing I’ve had in America.
After reading all the research on the flavor of this intriguing confection, I do believe our homemade Turkish Delight is spot on!
And now my goal has been met!
I think I now understand why Edmund was beguiled by the Turkish Delight!
CS Lewis, the master of words, cleverly used the beguilement of the flavor as the plot device in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.
For more photos, check my Flickr set.
COMMENTS FROM MY OLD BLOG
Dawn – June 15, 2014 at 7:48 AM – What a wonderful challenge and you mastered it! I look forward to following your adventure along.
Blessings, Dawn
Hana-Marmota – June 15, 2014 at 10:20 AM – Wow! It’s amazing. I don’t think I’d have the patience to make this… and our house is humid. But ooooh. And it’s great how one era took you to a completely different era in your research!
