In 1980, I had the chance to attend a concert in Baton Rouge. The group was called "2nd Chapter of Acts", and as a still-young Christian, they were very new to me. I'd been intrigued by one song called "Easter Song", and wanted to hear more. At that concert, they sang a few songs from a new album called "The Roar of Love", which had been inspired by a book from author C.S. Lewis called "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe", first in a series of seven books known as The Chronicles of Narnia. That night, my heart was lost to Aslan, and I wanted almost desperately to go to Narnia. I purchased the set, and absolutely devoured them!

In that first book, four siblings find their way into the enchanted world of Narnia. After hearing 2nd Chapter of Acts sing about one brother's experience with "Turkish Delight", and reading the story, I wondered whether it was a real confection, or something of Mr. Lewis' imagination. It wasn't until a few years ago, when I stumbled across it at an import store, that I realized it was, in fact, a true confection.

For some reason, I still have never tasted it! But, when the movie "Narnia" came to theatres, I tracked down a few recipes, and decided I'd post them here. Give them a try, as I will, and we'll find out why Edmund wanted more and more.

NOTE: Most sources note Turkish Delight as a traditional Armenian (and Turkish) Christmas treat. The long name for the sweet is rahat lokum. The etymology of the word lokum has puzzled linguists for many years; it seems to be a corruption of the Arabic "rahat-al hulkum", meaning the "contentment of throat", while in Ottoman Turkish it means "a piece of contentment". So, the English traveler who dubbed it Turkish Delight was not far off.

In Armenia they usually leave it white while in Turkey they more often add the food coloring. In searching for these recipes, and from what I've seen in pictures, most of the commercially produced Turkish Delight seems to be a light pink color, and mostly flavored with lemon and rosewater. And while some recipes call for Pistachios, almonds, or hazelnuts, the addition of nuts appears to be according to personal preference. However, one thing seems common, to the point of vehemence: the use of gelatin to speed up the process is taboo in authentic recipes.

And so, without further ado, here are two recipes.
Recipe One
(This project requires adult supervision)


4 cups sugar
4 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/4 cups cornstarch
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 tablespoons rosewater
red food coloring (optional)
1 cup confectioners sugar
  1. Oil a 9-inch square pan. Line with plastic wrap and oil the plastic wrap.
  2. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, 1 1/2 cups of the water, and the lemon juice. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture boils. When the sugar syrup boils, coat the inside of the saucepan with a brush dipped in water to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, without stirring, until the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage (240°F on a candy thermometer). Remove the pan from the heat.
  3. In a second large heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir together 1 cup cornstarch and the cream of tartar. Gradually stir in the remaining 3 cups of water until no lumps remain. Stir constantly, until the mixture boils and is a thick, gluey paste.
  4. Slowly pour the hot sugar, water, and lemon juice syrup into the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often to prevent sticking, for about 1 hour, or until the mixture has become a pale golden color.
  5. Stir in the rosewater and tint as desired with food coloring. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Cool to room temperature and let stand, uncovered, overnight to set.
  6. Sift the confectioners sugar and the remaining 1/4 cup cornstarch onto a large cutting board. Turn the Turkish delight out and cut into 1-inch squares with an oiled knife. Roll pieces in the sugar mixture to coat well. Store in an airtight container with sheets of waxed paper, dusted with the sugar mixture, separating every layer.


Recipe Two
(This project requires adult supervision)


2 c sugar
1/2 c cornstarch
1 1/2 c water
1/2 ts cream of tartar
2 tb rosewater OR one of the following to taste:
- 1/2 ts rose food flavoring
- 1/4 c fruit juice
- 1 tb vanilla extract
- 1 tb orange extract
- 1 tb Creme de menthe liqueur
Food coloring (optional)
1/2 c chopped toasted pistachios or almonds (optional)
confectioner's sugar, granulated sugar, or desiccated coconut for dusting
(1 c equals 250 ml)

  1. Combine sugar, 1 c water, cream of tartar, and flavoring(s) in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine cornstarch with remaining water, mix completely, and slowly stir into sugar mixture. Boil over medium-low heat for 20-30 minutes, until the mixture reaches "Firm-ball stage," or 245ºF (120ºC) on a candy thermometer.
  3. Apply non-stick cooking spray to a form (ice cube trays will do nicely), shallow pie pan, or jelly-roll pan. Pour the hot mixture into the pan or form and allow to set.
  4. When cool, release from form or cut into cubes as applicable and roll each piece in powdered sugar, granulated sugar, or coconut.
Store at room temperature in airtight container.
If you're adventurous, try some of these alternate flavor combinations:
Oops!

If you'd like to know more about 2nd Chapter of Acts,
and hear excerpts from "The Roar Of Love", click HERE.

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