Recipe: Turkish Delight

the appetizer:

Start your own home candy business with Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner by Peter P. Greweling and The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), with recipes like Buckwheat Beehives, Toffee Drops, and Turkish Delight.

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Turkish Delight

Yield: 140 pieces

Thin boiling starch (60 degrees fluidity) — 140 g — 5 oz —5%
Water — 1130 g — 40 oz — 40%
Glucose syrup — 230 g — 8 oz — 8%
Sugar — 910 g — 32 oz — 32%
Vanilla bean, scraped — 1 bean
Rose water — 1 tsp — <1%
Citric acid — 1 tsp — <1%
Rose coloring as needed
Pistachio nuts, shelled, whole — 400 g — 14 oz — 15%

Batch Size — 2810 g — 99 oz — 100%

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting as needed
Cornstarch, for dusting as needed

Turkish Delight

1. Combine the starch and water thoroughly and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

2. While maintaining the liquid at a simmer, mix together the glucose syrup and sugar and add to the simmering liquid, along with the scraped vanilla seeds and pod.

3. Continue cooking on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the batch reaches 106 degrees C/223 degrees F, or 78 degrees Brix.

4. Remove from heat and pluck out the vanilla pod. Stir in the rose water, citric acid, and rose coloring. Add the pistachios.

5. Pour into a 12" x 12" x 3/4" frame placed on a plastic sheet. Spread the hot mixture evenly in the frame.

6. Place another plastic sheet onto the top of the jelly and allow to set, undisturbed, overnight.

7. Remove the plastic sheets from the jelly and dust generously with a sifted mixture of 2 parts confectioners' sugar to 1 part cornstarch.

8. Using a chef's knife, cut into 1" squares. Dredge the squares in the starch mixture.

Variations

Saffron Turkish Delight with Pistachios
Add 3/4 tsp saffron threads to the batch along with the sugar. Omit the rose water and coloring.

Cardamom Cashew Turkish Delight
Add 2 tsp ground cardamom along with the sugar. Omit the rose water and coloring. Replace the pistachios with toasted cashews.

Various Flavors
Manufactured flavors and citric acid may be used in the recommended quantities as desired Omit the rose water. Use appropriate coloring for the flavor chosen. Omit the nuts.

Wfrom:
Chocolates and Confections
Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner
by Peter P. Greweling
The Culinary Institute of America
Wiley 2007
Hardcover 388 pages; US $65.00
ISBN: 978-0-7645-8844-3
Recipe reprinted by permission.

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