I Love Turkish Delight Candy

I love Turkish Delight Candy Bars. They are called Big Turk and are made by Nestle ,Canada, who also make Aero Bars, but that’s another yummy story.

Turkish Delight is a candy that originated in Turkey in the 1700's. It has a soft, jelly-like consistancy, and is usually flavored with rosewater, but I have seen it made with orange, mint or lemon flavorings.

Due to the difficulty finding Big Turk, I started searching for suppliers and found aome great recipes.

Recipe One

Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Ingredients:
• 4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 4 1/4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rosewater
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• Vegetable oil ot shortening

Preparation:
In a 9 inch baking pan, grease the sides and bottom with vegetable oil or shortening. Line with wax paper and grease the wax paper.

In a saucepan, combine lemon juice, sugar and 1 1/2 cups water on medium heat. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves. Allow mixture to boil. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine cream of tartar, 1 cup corn starch and remaining water in saucepan over medium heat. Stir until all lumps are gone and the mixture begins to boil. Stop stirring when the mixture has a glue like consistency.

Stir in the lemon juice, water and sugar mixture. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, Allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring frequently.

Once the mixture has become a golden color, stir in rosewater. Pour mixture into wax paper lined pan. Spread evenly and allow to cool overnight.

Once it has cooled overnight, sift together confectioners sugar and remaining cornstarch.

Turn over baking pan containing Turkish delight onto clean counter or table and cut with oiled knife into one inch pieces.

Coat with confectioners sugar mixture. Serve or store in airtight container in layers separated with wax or parchment paper.


Recipe Two

24 servings
3 envelopes Knox gelatin
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon rose flavoring
Few drops red food coloring
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup cornstarch (or more)

Bring gelatin, sugar and water to boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and add rose flavoring and red food coloring. Strain into buttered pan and chill 24 hours.
Mix confectioners' sugar and cornstarch. Cover a slab with the mixture. Turn candy out onto slab. Cut into 1-inch squares, being careful not to let them touch each other. Roll each in sugar mixture, and pack in an airtight container with remainder of sugar mix.

And if you prefer your sweets in liquid form, here is an adult drink!

1 shot vodka
2 shots lychee liqueur
2 shots Lemon and lime juice
2 dashes syrup of roses
1 dash grenadine syrup
1 mug lychee juice
1/4 mug cranberry juice

Shake the ingredients together in a cocktail shaker with 6 cubes of ice. Serve in a martini glass with a whole wedge of lemon squeezed a little.


But, if you don’t have time to make it like me right now, I found a great candy store, Dan’s Candy Stand in Ontario, who carries them along with a lot of other goodies, and best of all , will ship to the US.
http://www.danscandystand.com

Enjoy!