We’ve got 2 great recipes for you to check out!
Turkish Delight Recipe
Turkish cuisine is perhaps best known for Turkish Delight, or lokma or lokum, as it’s referred to in its country of origin.
They are sweet little squares of joy – a delicately chewy treat, usually dusted with confectioner’s sugar, and can be infused with all kinds of flavorings and food coloring.
They’re often presented in a decorative box, and make for an excellent gift. The Turkish Delight recipe I’m going to show you here today is suitable for everybody, because it’s 100% vegan AND gluten-free.
Besides the sugar, the main ingredients include rose water and lemon juice, for a super traditional taste, with some food coloring added to finish.
Here comes the recipe…
Nutritional guidelines per serving:
- Calories: 130
- Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Protein: 0g
How long it takes to make:
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 2 hours
- Resting time: 8 hours
- Total time: 10 hours and 10 minutes
- Number of servings: 32
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
- 4 and a half cups of water
- 1 and a quarter cups of cornstarch
- 4 and a half cups of rose water
- 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
- 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar
- 2 drops of red food coloring
Instructions:
Step 1
To begin, line the 9×9 pan with aluminum foil and spray it with some cooking spray. This serves to prevent the mixture sticking to the pan.
Step 2
Place the granulated sugar together with just 1 and a half cups of water in one of the medium saucepans, leaving the rest of the water aside for later. Add the lemon juice and bring the pan to a medium heat.
You then need to stir the mixture until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved, before bringing the mixture to a boil.
Step 3
Wet the pastry brush and use it to brush down the sides of the pan. This will serve to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Insert a candy thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature.
Step 4
Allow the mixture to continue to boil until it reaches a temperature of 240 degrees Fahrenheit. This part of the process can take anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour. While you are waiting, gather the remaining ingredients.
Step 5
Place the remaining water (3 cups worth) in the other larger saucepan. Add the cream of tartar and the cornstarch, and hand whisk until the starch has dissolved, and the mixture is free of any lumps.
Step 6
Once whisked, place this second mixture on a medium heat and bring it to a boil. Continue to constantly stir or whisk the mixture until. The mixture will become thicker.
Step 7
Remove the sugar syrup mixture from the heat when the temperature reaches 240 degrees Fahrenheit, and add it to the cornstarch mixture. Slowly whisk it in to form a new mixture.
Step 8
Reduce the heat to a simmer and whisk it every 8 to 10 minutes or so over the course of an hour, until the mixture becomes thick and gluey and has turned a light golden yellow shade.
Step 9
Take the pan off the heat, and stir in the red food coloring and rosewater. This is what gives it its distinctive color and taste.
Step 10
Pour the final mixture into the square pan, and allow it to rest overnight uncovered.
Step 11
The next day, dust a clean countertop with confectioner’s sugar. Then remove the candy from the pan, and flip it onto the prepared area. Peel off the aluminum foil and dust with more of the powdered sugar.
Use a knife to cut the candy into squares, and dust all sides with the sugar.
Bon appétit!
Turkish Tulumba Tatlısı
This Turkish dessert consists of mini oblong balls of fried dough soaked in syrup. It’s light, crispy, and delicious!
Nutritional Guidelines per serving
- Calories: 411
- Fat: 29 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Protein: 3 g
How long it takes to make and how many servings it makes:
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cooking time: 25 minutes
- Total time: 55 minutes
- Number of servings: 25
Ingredients for the Syrup
- 3 ½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 cups sugar
Ingredients for the Dough
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup ground pistachios
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 3 tablespoons semolina
- 2 to 3 cups vegetable oil
Making the Syrup
Step 1
Stir the sugar and water in a saucepan, bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Step 2
Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and simmer for another minute. Then turn off the heat and let it cool.
Making the Dough
Step 1
Heat the water, butter and sugar in a large saucepan. Put on the heat and stir until the butter has melted.
Step 2
Stir in the four, and a dough will form. When the dough starts to collect around the spoon, take the pan off the heat.
Step 3
Break the eggs and quickly stir them into the dough.
Step 4
Add the cornstarch and semolina and stir well.
Step 5
Transfer the batter to a piping bag with a star tip.
Frying the Dough
Step 1
Pour the vegetable oil into the frying pan, 3 inches deep, and heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2
Once hot, squeeze small lines of dough into the hot oil from the piping bag. Cut each piece into 2 inch tubes. Check that they brown evenly.
Step 3
Once browned, remove the tulumba from the oil and set them on paper towels to drain the remaining oil.
Step 4
Add the tulumba to the syrup you prepared earlier, and let them soak it up for a few minutes.
Bon appétit!
