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turkish candy on blue plate with pomegranate in background
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4.20 from 5 votes

Turkish Delight (Lokum Recipe) + Video

My Turkish Delight is a sweet confection made from a gel of starch and sugar that features tart pomegranate and crunchy pistachios.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Chill Time4 hours
Total Time5 hours 15 minutes
Course: desserts
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Servings: 36
Author: Kevin

Ingredients

For Syrup

Base

Coating

Instructions

  • Coat the inside of a 8x8" pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with a square of parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Dissolve the sugar, water and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low and continue cooking until syrup reaches the Soft Ball stage with a temperature of 240°F (about 15 minutes).
  • In another saucepan or Dutch oven, whisk together the base ingredients of pomegranate juice, water, cornstarch, orange or rose water and lemon juice. Cook over low heat, whisking often, until thickened.
  • Carefully whisk in the syrup in half cup increments, making sure there are no lumps until all is incorporated. Continue to cook on low for 45 minutes, stirring often. This will reduce and thicken considerably.
  • Stir in 1/4 cup pistachios. Carefully pour the Turkish Delight confection into pan, spreading to edges. Let rest at room temperature 1 hour, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.
  • In a medium bowl mix together the powdered sugar and cornstarch. Use a rubber spatula and run it around the inside edges of pan to loosen. Turn the pan over onto a cutting area sprinkled with some of the powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture. Remove the parchment paper and discard. Cut into 36 squares (I use a pizza cutter or sharp knife).
  • Sprinkle the exposed cut Turkish Delight with some of the powdered mixture. Scoop it all into the bowl, and gently with your hands, toss to coat evenly. Store the coated Turkish Delight in an airtight container, and keep at room temperature for up to 4 weeks.

Video

Notes

  1. To prevent pieces from sticking together, Turkish delight is coated in a mixture of equal parts cornstarch and powdered sugar. If desired, you could use finely crushed pistachios instead.

Nutrition

Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg