Turkish Delight – The Chronicles of Narnia

“‘It is dull, Son of Adam, to drink without eating,’ said the Queen presently. ‘What would you like best to eat?’

‘Turkish Delight, please, your Majesty.’

The Queen let another drop fall from her bottle onto the snow, and instantly there appeared a round box, tied with a green silk ribbon, which, when opened, turned out to contain several pounds of Turkish Delight. Each piece was sweet and light to the very centre and Edmund had never tasted anything more delicious. He was quite warm now, and very comfortable.”

–The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis

This recipe is arguably both one of the most requested and the most contentious recipes from fiction. I’ve heard from so many people who first encountered the above description of Turkish Delight in the Chronicles of Narnia, and were then bitterly disappointed when they tried it in real life.

I wonder if we all simply transposed our most desired candy to that description above, not really knowing what this strange confection was. Personally, I think I imagined it as something chocolatey, maybe like one of those airy flaky British chocolates? Definitely a far cry from actual Turkish Delight.

It wasn’t until I lived in Turkey for a year that I actually tried and subsequently fell absolutely in love with this chewy gooey confection. Seeing booths in the sprawling bazaars simply heaped up with countless varieties of Turkish Delight is something I will never forget. And yet, for all that, it’s taken me over a decade to actually knuckle down and get this recipe done- seriously, this original post dates from May of 2012!

But better late than never.

Each little bite-sized square is densely chewy (as all Turkish delight is, in my experience, so I’m not sure where Lewis was getting his “light to the very center” variety).  I opted for a fruity version with the addition of chopped pistachios, which add a nice textural counterpoint to the chewiness, as well as a pretty contrasting color to the pink.

Turkish Delight Recipe

makes: 2-3 dozen pieces   –   Prep Time: 45 minutes   –   Cooling: several hours, or overnight

FOR SYRUP

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cups pomegranate juice (or juice of your choice)
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice

BASE

  • 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice (or juice of your choice)
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1 Tbs. orange blossom water optional (or rose water)
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • Food coloring, if wished
  • 1/4 cup pistachios roughly chopped

COATING

  • 2 Tbs. powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbs. cornstarch
Lightly coat the inside of a small casserole pan with cooking spray, line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper, and lightly spray that, too. Set aside.
Begin by making the Sugar Syrup: combine the sugar and juices in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and reached soft-ball stage (~240F), about 10-15 minutes.
While the sugar cooks, make up the other half of the base: in another saucepan, stir together the juices, cornstarch, orange blossom water, and any food coloring, if using. Set over medium heat and continue to stir periodically until it thickens to something slightly firmer than wallpaper paste consistency. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so, until the mixture has become somewhat more opaque.
Working in increments, stir the hot sugar into the cornstarch base. Continue whisking or stirring until no lumps remain. Cook over medium-low heat for another 30 minutes or so, stirring often to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom and burn. When the mixture looks very thick but before it’s in danger of browning, remove from the heat. Stir in the chopped pistachios and then transfer to the prepared baking dish. Chill for several hours, until completely cool and set.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining cornstarch and powdered sugar. Sprinkle a little on a cutting board. Remove the cooled Turkish delight from the pan and set on the cutting board. Using a large sharp knife, slightly greased, cut the Turkish Delight into bite-sized squares. Toss these with the cornstarch and powdered sugar mix until all the sides are coated. Tap off any excess, and enjoy!
The pieces can also be stored for several weeks in an airtight container.

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