This is not one of my pictures, but one from Flickr! Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
For those of you who have never tried the exotic sweetie that got Edmund into such a lot of trouble in Lewis' wonderful book, here's the recipe. We made this during mid term break, because my girls are Narnia nuts, and my eldest loves Turkish Delight. I've taken the recipe verbatim from Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's Treats from an Edwardian Country House site, and he says that although this is not the way the Turks make their delight, it is an original Edwardian recipe, which for me makes it more evocative. This truly is the kind of sweetie a young "Jack" Lewis would've eaten!
Turkish Delight
2 tablespoons rose-water
25g powdered gelatine
270ml cold water
450g granulated sugar
few drops pink food colouring
25g icing sugar
25g cornflour
2 tablespoons rose-water
25g powdered gelatine
270ml cold water
450g granulated sugar
few drops pink food colouring
25g icing sugar
25g cornflour
Mix 1 tablespoon rose water with 3 tablespoons cold water. Sprinkle the gelatine evenly over the liquid, but don't stir. Leave for about 5 minutes so the gelatine absorbs the liquid and swells into a spongy mass.
Gently heat the sugar in 270ml water in a heavy-bottomed pan, stirring gently until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the gelatine to the pan, stirring constantly until it has melted, then bring to the boil. Boil over a low to medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring fairly often, then remove from the heat and add the remaining rose water and the colouring.
Pour the mixture into a wetted 15 x 15cm tin and chill for 24 hours until set.
Sieve the icing sugar and cornflour together and sprinkle evenly over a piece of greaseproof paper. Turn the Turkish delight out onto the powdered paper and cut it into 2.5cm squares with a sharp knife. Toss well in the sugar mixture.
****
When we made this, we found that we needed slightly more icing(confectioner's) sugar than the recipe recommended. It was such a lot of fun to make! Why not have look at the rest of Hugh's Edwardian concoctions, it's such a great site for the adventurous huswife!
Well, anon, gentle reader, until tomorrow!
9 comments:
I always wondered what that candy tasted like - since it was so devastatingly tempting to poor Edmund.
Is it like a jelly candy?
Hi Kathie
Yes, a soft jelly sweet, flavoured with rosewater.
Sorry to keep you hanging on Dolce but I was having such a wonderful visit at Recipes from the Edwardian Era that I plum left you hanging! I adore Turkish delight. It just might be the treat to make with the grandkids when they visit. They just discovered they like apricots thanks to grammy:) The recipe you posted looks quite interesting too!
HI Louise
Making the Turkish Delight is a lot of sticky fun!
My British friend sent me a small box of it one year at Christmas. My family didn't enjoy it all that much, but I liked it. I think one candy was rose and the other lemon. Does that sound right?
Thanks for sharing the recipe. If I make it, I may have to eat it all!
Jody
Hi Jody
I'm kinda with your family. I think TD is just okay, but my DH and my eldest love it! You're right it can be lemon flavoured too, and it is a bit of a Christmas treat.
I recall that passage of Lewis' when my dad brings out his Aplets and Cotlets gifts at Christmas time. They are turkish delight with apricot or apple flavor and walnuts -- delish!
Hi Marie and welcome back!
Wow! aplets and cotlets sound delicious. Are they German in origin?
This does sound good, I might save the recipe and make some at Christmas. I've had real Turkish Delight and it isn't anything like this but both are very good.
Post a Comment