Make Turkish Delight From 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' (2024)

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Middle Eastern Food
Turkish Food
Turkish Desserts

Saad Fayed

A restaurateur and food writer, Saad Fayed has published hundreds of recipes and articles about Middle Eastern cuisine.

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Updated on 04/6/22

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Cook: 70 mins

Rest: 8 hrs

Total: 9 hrs 25 mins

Servings: 16 servings

126 ratings

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You might recognize Turkish delight as the candy featured in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C. S. Lewis. The White Witch tempted the character Edmund Pevensie with Turkish delight, and he couldn't resist the sweet treat.

Turkish delight, also known as lokum, most likely originated in Turkey in the 1700s. Part of the family of confections that use a mixture of starch—like flour or cornstarch—along with sugar, it's usually flavored with a bit of rose water, orange, or lemon. However, variations can include chopped pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts, or dates. The candy is usually cut into small cubes and individually wrapped. It is said that Turkish delight, with its gummy interior, was the precursor of the modern jelly bean.

Ingredients

4 1/4 cups water, divided
4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/4 cups cornstarch, divided
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 tablespoons rose water
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Grease the sides and bottom of a 9-inch baking pan with butter or shortening. Line with waxed paper and then grease the waxed paper as well.

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In a saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups of the water, the granulated sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves.
Allow the mixture to boil. Then reduce the heat to low and allow it to simmer until the mixture reaches 240 F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Combine 1 cup of the cornstarch, cream of tartar, and the remaining 2 3/4 cups water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until all the lumps are gone and the mixture begins to boil. Stop stirring when the mixture has a glue-like consistency.
Stir in the sugar and lemon juice mixture. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and allow the mixture to simmer for 1 hour, stirring frequently.
Once the mixture has become a golden color, stir in the rose water. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Spread evenly and allow to cool overnight.
The next day, sift together the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 1/4 cup cornstarch.
Invert the baking pan onto a clean counter or table; remove the waxed paper and using an oiled knife, cut the candy into 1-inch pieces.
Place the candy in the bowl with the confectioners' sugar mixture and toss to coat.
Serve or store in a container in between layers of waxed or parchment paper. (You don't want the container to be airtight because that can cause sweating.)

Tip

When cooking the cornstarch mixture, make sure there are no lumps before you proceed to the next step.

Why is my Turkish delight sweating?

One reason why this candy may sweat is that it was not left to sit long enough before cutting and dusting with the cornstarch-sugar mixture. Make sure to leave the Turkish delight at room temperature for at least 8 hours; if your kitchen is hot and humid, you should place it in the refrigerator. If the candy still has a moist exterior, dust with just cornstarch and let sit for another day. Then cut into cubes and toss in the sugar mixture.

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Turkish Food
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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
245	Calories
0g	Fat
62g	Carbs
0g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories	245
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 5mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 62g	22%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 53g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg	1%
Calcium 3mg	0%
Iron 0mg	0%
Potassium 34mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

candy
dessert
middle eastern
christmas

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