Turkish Delight

This dessert is slightly exotic and is known by many people who have read the book ‘The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe’. This would do well for a tea party, a holiday party, or even if you just wanted to surprise someone.

Original recipe makes 12 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water
3 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons orange zest
3 (.25 ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pistachio nuts
confectioners’ sugar for dusting

PREP

20 mins
COOK

10 mins
READY IN

3 hrs 30 mins

Directions

Bring 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the temperature reaches 240 degrees F (115 degrees C) on a candy thermometer. Set aside and keep hot.
Stir together orange juice and orange zest, sprinkle with gelatin, and set aside. In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup cold water, then stir into hot syrup. Place over medium-low heat, and simmer, stirring gently, until very thick.
Remove syrup from heat, stir in orange juice mixture, vanilla, and pistachios. Sprinkle a 8×8-inch pan generously with confectioners’ sugar. Pour the Turkish delight into the pan, and let cool in a cool, dry place (not the refrigerator) until set, 3 to 4 hours.
When cool, sprinkle the top with another thick layer of powdered sugar. Cut into 1-inch squares, and dredge each well with confectioners’ sugar. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.