Turkish Delight

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 87, 21 February 1941, Page 46

Turkish Delight

Dear Aunt Daisy, I wonder if you can let me have a recipe for Turkish Delight? I have tried several recipes, but the result is more like jelly or ju-jubes. My husband said it isn’t "Turkish" and the flavour isn’t right! Do you think rose-water for flavouring would perhaps make it seem more like the real thing? I use powdered gelatine, but several recipes say leaf gelatine. Is there really any difference in the action of the latter?

Sweet Tooth

(Wellington).

Well, I daresay some kindly Link in the Chain will know exactly what you mean about the flavour and the "texture" of the Turkish Delight, which your husband remembers, and longs to recapture, so to speak. In the meantime, here are two good old recipes sent to me by friendly listeners. Both use the powdered &elatine, which has now taken the place of leat gelatine. It is much easier to handle and use; and I am sure that it is not upon the use of leaf gelatine that the success depends. FIRST RECIPE:-Boil one cup oft hot water, 2 cups of sugar, 4 dessertspoons of gelatine, and one saltspoon of citric acid together for twenty minutes. Do not stir after it boils, Remove from the fire, and allow to cool. Divide the mixture and colour and flavour as liked.

Pour into buttered flat dishes. When set, cut into squares and roll in icing sugar. SECOND RECIPE:-One ounce of powdered gelatine, 1lb. of white sugar, 1 teaspoon of citric acid, and a quarter of a cup of cold water. Soak the gelatine in half a cup of water for 2 hours. Then put it into a pan with the sugar, and acid, and the quarter cup of cold water. Boil for ten minutes, then add one teaspoon of essence of lemon. Strain the mixture through muslin, and put on two dinner plates. Colour one plateful pink. When set, cut in small squares, and roll in icing sugar.