Greweling's Turkish Delight

[Stuckey]

Tonight, I made Turkish Delight from Peter Greweling's excellent Chocolates and Confections at Home. The recipe was reasonably straight-forward, until I got toward the end.

The recipe calls for whisking the sugar syrup and starch paste over low heat until smooth and clear, and says this will take around 20-25 minutes. I didn't have a problem with the mixture coming together. It was pretty smooth the entire time, and I was just waiting for it to go clear. What I was looking for was for the opaque, frosty mixture to hit a point where it would turn clear so that I could see the bottom of my whisk, but this did not happen, even after standing there stirring for almost 40 minutes. I then quickly had a look at the Turkish Delight recipe in Greweling's professional book, and even though the ingredients were different, I took note that that recipe calls for cooking to 223F. I checked the temperature of my mixture, and it was only around 205F. Out of impatience, I added the mix-ins and poured the mixture into my prepared pan. I will see how it turns out tomorrow, but I would love to know:

1) Did I take the mixture off too soon? If I had persevered, would it have magically become clear after reaching a certain point, or is Greweling's description of "smooth and clear" as an indicator of when it's done somewhat vague and/or misleading?

2) I presume that whether I under- or overcooked the mixture, this would affect the texture of the final product? Or is it the initial cooking of the sugar syrup to 260F the primary determinant of the final texture?

3) The recipe calls for 12oz shelled, unsalted, and undyed pistachios. Should they be raw or toasted? I used raw. I've made Greweling's Peanut Brittle, which calls for adding raw peanuts to a sugar syrup at a much higher temp, which obviously cooks the peanuts. But would adding raw pistachios after taking the mixture off the heat be sufficient to "toast" the pistachios? In addition, I used 200g of pistachios, and I think even that quantity is too much for the amount of Turkish Delight produced. I would use only 100g next time, unless you're going for quite a pistachio-dense Turkish Delight.

Thanks for any guidance, and I will report back tomorrow to share how the Turkish Delight turns out. Cheers!

[Stuckey]

The Turkish Delight did not quite turn out as it should have. It was too soft - the cut pieces have held their shape (so far), but there is little chew in the mouth. Next time, I would:

- Cook the mixture to around 223F, instead of waiting for the mixture to become "clear". Even undercooked, the Turkish Delight turned out with a clarity that I would expect, so waiting for the mixture to become clear as an indicator of doneness may not be very accurate (in my limited experience). As well, I'm suspecting undercooking of the mixture is to blame for the Turkish Delight absorbing the powdered sugar/cornflour coating after only a few hours.

- Toast the pistachio nuts before adding to the mixture. The residual heat from the mixture was not enough to cook the nuts.

- Use fewer pistachio nuts. I would use one quarter of the amount that Greweling calls for in his recipe.

- Add a bit more rose water than the 2 tsp called for. I don't think an extra half, or even one, teaspoon would overwhelm. The 2 tsp is a bit too subtle a Turkish Delight than I am used to! I used three drops of red food colouring, which gave it a nice, not excessively pink, hue.

Is there no one else making Turkish Delight? Oh well, I hope these posts will be of assistance to someone!

[lapin d'or]

I have tried to make turkish delight a few times, different recipes, including the one from Grewelling professional and never achieved a firm set. I did not have the starch that Grewelling asked for so that may not have helped, I just used cornflour.

I have seen recipes that ask you to slowly boil the mixture for over an hour and as it requires constant stirring that seems like a huge amount of work. I tried cooking in the microwave thinking I could get the heat up easily and minimise the starch burning on the base of the pan but it still did not thicken properly.

Lapin

[Kerry Beal]

I have tried to make turkish delight a few times, different recipes, including the one from Grewelling professional and never achieved a firm set. I did not have the starch that Grewelling asked for so that may not have helped, I just used cornflour.

I have seen recipes that ask you to slowly boil the mixture for over an hour and as it requires constant stirring that seems like a huge amount of work. I tried cooking in the microwave thinking I could get the heat up easily and minimise the starch burning on the base of the pan but it still did not thicken properly.

Lapin

This sounds like a job for ... THERMOMIX!!! Though I wonder if it will get to the right temperature. Let me play.

[Kerry Beal]

Ok, thermomix is the way to go with this recipe. I was able to ignore it while it cooked.

I made 2/3 of a batch so it would fit in an 8 X 8 inch pan.

Boiled up the sugar solution to 127 C, cooked the starch solution in the thermomix until the sugar was ready. I probably cooked it for about 30 minutes altogether - for the first 20 minutes I cooked at 100C, then put it up higher (ie really boiling away) on and off over the next 10 minutes or so. There was a point where I noticed it was clearer - not clear - but clearer!

It never got to 107C. It was probably around 100C when I stopped.

It has firmed up nicely already - and the bits I've scraped out of the bowl seem convincingly Turkish Delightish.

So the takeaway message - don't look for clear - look for less cloudy!

Oh yeah - and I didn't add any nuts, just 5 drops of 1% rose otto and some red paste colour.

Edited April 12, 2010 by Kerry Beal (log)

[Amy D.]

I have the professional book and wonder how does the recipe in the at home book differ? i've not tried the turkish delight mainly because i'm not sure what thin boiling starch is or where to get it from but also because I've failed in all my previous attempt using non gelatin recipes.

[Kerry Beal]

I have the professional book and wonder how does the recipe in the at home book differ? i've not tried the turkish delight mainly because i'm not sure what thin boiling starch is or where to get it from but also because I've failed in all my previous attempt using non gelatin recipes.

The difference is the thin boiling starch. The at home books uses regular starch. I do have some thin boiling starch - if I figure out where is it in the house I should compare the recipes.

[Stuckey]

I've got both books open in front of me. The main difference between both recipes is the starch. Greweling calls for cornstarch in the At Home book. In the Professional book, he also adds citric acid along with the flavourings, but does not add this to the At Home version, for some reason.

Kerry, thanks for giving this a try. It's interesting yours turned out OK given enough cooking time. I will also omit the nuts in my next batch - pistachios are expensive! I'll add them once I get the rest right. I've just checked my batch and the Turkish Delight is no longer delightful - the surfaces of the pieces have gone all gloopy! Good thing I decided not to share any of it at work! Into the bin it goes!

[Amy D.]

thanks for the quick replies, I will be really interested in seeing how your future attempts work out Stuckey. good luck

[Darienne]

Good thing I decided not to share any of it at work! Into the bin it goes!

If I'm not too late...don't throw it out...it will chocolate dip quite nicely assuming it is a suitable flavor.

A couple of years ago a group of friends were making truffles and one of the group made 'turkish delight' ahead of time for further dipping. We could hardly throw it out and so dipped the less than solid stuff into chocolate and the chocolate held it into shape.

On the other hand...

[BadRabbit]

Is everyone in this thread British? I have seen it mentioned so many times in English literature that I figured it was a flavor only appreciated in the UK because I have never met an American who could stomach Turkish Delight (at least the store bought Fry's candy bar).

Is the homemade type significantly different from the Fry's bar? Have I just had the worst iteration of this confection and therefore I have unfairly judged one of the world's great delicacies?

I personally think it tasted like a glade air freshener dipped in chocolate.

[Anna N]

I don't think there is much in common between the confection known as Turkish Delight and the Fry's Chocolate Bar. Strangely, I like them both!

[BadRabbit]

That makes me feel better. My 9 year old wanted one when she saw one in the grocery (she had read about it in the Narnia books).

I bought her one of these.

It was horrible and we gave bites to about four other family members and all agreed. It left us all talking for days about the strange tastes of Brits.

[Kerry Beal]

I've got both books open in front of me. The main difference between both recipes is the starch. Greweling calls for cornstarch in the At Home book. In the Professional book, he also adds citric acid along with the flavourings, but does not add this to the At Home version, for some reason.

Kerry, thanks for giving this a try. It's interesting yours turned out OK given enough cooking time. I will also omit the nuts in my next batch - pistachios are expensive! I'll add them once I get the rest right. I've just checked my batch and the Turkish Delight is no longer delightful - the surfaces of the pieces have gone all gloopy! Good thing I decided not to share any of it at work! Into the bin it goes!

So rolled some in starch before heading to work - still went all gloppy.

Got the rest air drying without putting it in a container.

[Kerry Beal]

Is everyone in this thread British? I have seen it mentioned so many times in English literature that I figured it was a flavor only appreciated in the UK because I have never met an American who could stomach Turkish Delight (at least the store bought Fry's candy bar).

Is the homemade type significantly different from the Fry's bar? Have I just had the worst iteration of this confection and therefore I have unfairly judged one of the world's great delicacies?

I personally think it tasted like a glade air freshener dipped in chocolate.

Tastes fairly similar. So make it with another flavour.

[andiesenji]

It's not Peter Greweling's but I've been making Lakhoum for many years and my recipe has been in RecipeGullet for a few years and several members have tried it.

I think it is fairly simple and I've never had a problem with it not clearing, but it is translucent, never transparent.

my best recent results are when I use agar agar and arrowroot instead of the gelatin and cornstarch.

I began using these ingredients because my daughter and two of my grandchildren are allergic to corn.

The arrowroot is substituted 1:1 for cornstarch.

Edited April 12, 2010 by andiesenji (log)

[Amy D.]

thanks for pointing us to the Lakhoum recipe andiesenji, I'll definately have to give this a go for my vegetarian OH - actually it's really similar to the gelatin recipe I already use I just didn't realise I could substitue agar agar so easily.

[dougal]

It's not Peter Greweling's but I've been making Lakhoum for many years and my recipe has been in RecipeGullet for a few years and several members have tried it.

I think it is fairly simple and I've never had a problem with it not clearing, but it is translucent, never transparent.

my best recent results are when I use agar agar and arrowroot instead of the gelatin and cornstarch.

I began using these ingredients because my daughter and two of my grandchildren are allergic to corn.

The arrowroot is substituted 1:1 for cornstarch.

In Greece, they wouldn't dream of calling this stuff Turkish Delight ... (They don't call it that in Turkey either.)

One of the Anglicised spellings of the Greek name is Loukoumia (hence another useful word to Google for recipes and info).

The (Greek-made) box on my shelf contains "maize starch" and "modified maize starch" (no gelatin, etc).

It is flavoured with "extract of Pistachio tree from the island of Chios". (Resin, I believe.)

And its rather good.

Edited April 13, 2010 by dougal (log)

[andiesenji]

For the folks who have had problems with the candy not setting up or with excessive "sweating" here are a couple of notes.

Don't try to make the candy when it is raining - if the ambient humidity is too high, the surface will remain tacky and often the candy will slump instead of retaining it's shape.

If you have a dehydrator, go ahead and coat the candy with the powdered sugar and put it in the dehydrator with the fan on but on the lowest heat setting.

Check it every hour and when the corners feel firm and resist when you press on them, turn the dehydrator off and leave them for an hour or so and then store in an airtight container.

The original recipe that started me on this many years ago came from an Armenian friend and later I was given a similar recipe, with some variations, by a neighbor from Cyprus.

The first one was made with gum arabic (food grade) and it worked beautifully but for quite a few years it became difficult to find a reliable source for it so I tried other ingredients with varying degrees of success (or lack thereof). Guar gum, xanthan gum(very tricky to use and a very little goes a long, long way) and others that I can't recall right now.

I've substituted tapioca flour for the cornstarch, besides the arrowroot and I've experimented with some other ingredients - kuzu root didn't work so well.

[Kerry Beal]

Crisis averted by leaving the remainder of the slab between two paper towels overnight. This am when I rolled in starch - no more sweating.

[Kerry Beal]

The original recipe that started me on this many years ago came from an Armenian friend and later I was given a similar recipe, with some variations, by a neighbor from Cyprus.

The first one was made with gum arabic (food grade) and it worked beautifully but for quite a few years it became difficult to find a reliable source for it so I tried other ingredients with varying degrees of success (or lack thereof). Guar gum, xanthan gum(very tricky to use and a very little goes a long, long way) and others that I can't recall right now.

I've substituted tapioca flour for the cornstarch, besides the arrowroot and I've experimented with some other ingredients - kuzu root didn't work so well.

I'll have to give this one a try. I do have gum arabic - is it just a one to one sub in the recipe for the guar gum or agar-agar?

Edited April 14, 2010 by Kerry Beal (log)

[andiesenji]

The original recipe that started me on this many years ago came from an Armenian friend and later I was given a similar recipe, with some variations, by a neighbor from Cyprus.

The first one was made with gum arabic (food grade) and it worked beautifully but for quite a few years it became difficult to find a reliable source for it so I tried other ingredients with varying degrees of success (or lack thereof). Guar gum, xanthan gum(very tricky to use and a very little goes a long, long way) and others that I can't recall right now.

I've substituted tapioca flour for the cornstarch, besides the arrowroot and I've experimented with some other ingredients - kuzu root didn't work so well.

I'll have to give this one a try. I do have gum arabic - is it just a one to one sub in the recipe for the guar gum or agar-agar?

Yes, I measure it one to one.

the only difference is that I mix it with enough water to cover it plus half and inch or so and let it soak overnight and then put it through a wire sieve to get rid of any little granules.

Here's the link to the Lakhoum recipe

One advantage to gum arabic is that it mixes well with oils so you can use the oil-type flavorings which I think are stronger than other types.

[cmflick]

I made a batch of Turkish delight using the andiesenji recipe and am not sure that I cooked it to the point that I should have. The recipe states that you should cook until it boils and clears in the last step. Does this mean that it will clear when it boils or that you have to boil it until it clears? I stopped cooking when it boiled. I still had my candy thermometer in the pot and it had reached about 220F. Frankly, I couldn't tell if it had cleared or not. It was still opaque, but looked somewhat different than before it boiled. Hard to describe. Anyway, the Turkish delights came out really well and have not gone gloppy over the last couple of days. I had not anticipated who fluid the mixture would be when I poured it into the form to harden. Hence, the pistachios that I had added all floated to the top.

I was wondering if I could get a clarification on the boiling and clearing step, though. Also, is refrigeration absolutely necessary to get the mixture to solidify? I didn't have any room in the refrigerator and it didn't seem to be solidifying after a couple of hours at room temperature. I put it outside for a couple of hours where the temperature was in the upper 30s Fahrenheit, then transferred it to about 50 degrees overnight. That seemed to work.