Pistachio and Orange Blossom Turkish Delight

By garciamoss

Making Turkish Delight is a labour of love, requiring one’s undivided attention at the stove for the better part of an hour. Yet the recipe itself is simple enough and requires only a handful of ingredients, most of which you will likely already stock in your pantry. Besides, one batch will yield enough Turkish delight to feed a small army and keeps rather well, making the lengthy preparation worthwhile.

Ingredients

• 400 grams sugar
• 500 milliliters water, divided
• 100 grams cornstarch, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 25 grams pistachios
• 50 grams powdered sugar

Details

Adapted from food52.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a medium saucepan, combine 150 milliliters of the water with the sugar and heat until the mixture reaches 240° F (115° C).
Next, mix 75 grams of the cornstarch with the baking powder in a separate large saucepan, then whisk in the remaining 350 milliliters of water. Briefly bring the cornstarch mixture to a boil -- just long enough so that the mixture thickens to the consistency of mashed potatoes.
Take the cornstarch mixture off the heat and pour in the sugar syrup a little bit at a time, mixing to incorporate. (I find that using a handheld whisk makes this a lot easier and helps to ensure there are no lumps in the mixture.) Return the mixture to the heat and briefly bring it to a boil before turning the temperature to low.
Let the mixture simmer for about 45 minutes, whisking frequently all the while. By the end of the 45 minutes, the mixture should have thickened considerably and turned light amber in color. Stir in the orange blossom water, cinnamon, and pistachios.
Mix the remaining 25 grams of cornstarch with the powdered sugar, then line a sheet pan with parchment paper and dust it with about 1/3 of this enrobing mixture. Pour the hot mixture onto the prepared sheet pan and gently shake the pan to evenly distribute it.
Leave the Turkish delight to dry overnight. Use a sharp knife (oiled with a neutral-tasting oil like sunflower oil to prevent the candy from sticking) to cut the Turkish delight into small 1/2-inch cubes, and leave to dry for another day. Dust with the remaining enrobing mixture before storing the Turkish delight in an airtight box. It will keep for at least 2 weeks.