Turkish Delight with Rosewater
Inspired by techniques from BBC Good Food.
Soft, springy cubes of rose-scented Turkish delight made from a sugar syrup thickened with cornflour and cooked slowly until glossy and very thick. Left to set for a day, then cut and tossed in icing sugar and cornflour.
Based on the listed ingredients, none of the 14 major EU allergens. Always check product labels.
Method
- 1
Make the syrup. Oil a shallow 18 cm square tin. Put the sugar, cream of tartar and 500 ml water in a large heavy-based pan and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and boil for 10-15 min, until slightly syrupy; on a sugar thermometer it should reach 115-118 °C.
- 2
Add the cornflour. Stir the cornflour into the 150 ml cold water, then pour it into the syrup, whisking constantly, until smooth and thick.
- 3
Cook. Switch to a spatula and stir over medium heat until thick enough for a spoon to leave a clear line and the mixture starts to come away from the sides. Keep cooking and stirring for about 20 min more, until a little dropped into very cold water forms a ball that is springy when pressed.
- 4
Flavour and set. Stir in the rosewater or rose syrup, and the colouring if using. Pour into the tin, level the top and leave to set for at least 24 hours.
- 5
Cut and dust. Sift the dusting cornflour and icing sugar together over a board. Turn out the Turkish delight, dust the top, and cut into cubes with a sharp knife. Toss in more of the dusting mixture and spread the pieces apart so they can dry.
Storage
Keep uncovered or in small cardboard boxes or paper bags at cool room temperature for up to 1 week. Don't refrigerate or seal it airtight, or it turns sticky.
Free sugars
42.9 g per serving
85.8 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 171.6 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- 18 cm square shallow metal or silicone tin
- large heavy-based saucepan
- sugar thermometer (optional)
- whisk
- heatproof spatula or wooden spoon
- jug
- sieve
- chopping board
- sharp knife
- small bowl of iced water
Nutrition per serving Calculated from USDA FoodData Central
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 211 kcal |
| Protein | 0 g |
| Carbohydrate | 53.3 g |
| of which sugars | 42.9 g |
| of which free sugars | 42.9 g |
| Fat | 0.2 g |
| of which saturates | 0 g |
| Fibre | 0.1 g |
| Salt | 0 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
0 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
