Turkish Delight

Turkish delight, or lokum (also loukoum), is a confection made from starch and sugar. It is often flavored with rosewater or lemon, the former giving it a characteristic pale pink color. It has a soft, sticky consistency, and is often packaged and eaten in small cubes that are dusted with sugar to prevent sticking. Some recipes include small nut pieces, usually pistachio, hazelnut or walnuts.
Ingredients
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1½ cup water
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 2 tbsp rosewater
- Food coloring
- ½ cup chopped toasted pistachios or almonds (optional)
- Icing sugar, granulated sugar, or desiccated coconut for dusting
Steps
- Combine sugar, 1 cup water, cream of tartar and flavoring(s) in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil.
- Boil over medium-low heat 20-30 minutes to "firm-ball," 250°F (120°C) on a candy thermometer.
- Combine cornstarch with ½ cup hot water in a separate bowl. Mix completely. Slowly stir into the sugar mixture.
- Stir constantly until evenly combined. Continue stirring on low heat until thickened and clearer.
- Spray a form (heat-safe ice cube trays, not plastic), shallow pie pan or jelly-roll pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour the hot thickened mixture into the form. Let set.
- When cool, release from the form or cut into cubes. Roll each piece in powdered sugar, granulated sugar or coconut.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
Notes from the original
- With the exception of the sugar, cornstarch, water, cream of tartar, and cooking technique, this recipe may be greatly altered according to taste and/or occasion. The nuts may be omitted, and various flavorings can be added.
- Try replacing the rosewater with one of the following:
- ½ tsp rose food flavoring
- ¼ cup fruit juice
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp orange extract
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Turkish Delight” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2025-10-26, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo. Turkish Delight.JPG by Chris Buttigieg at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia. Resized; otherwise unchanged.






