Turkish Delight (Lokum)

1. Coat an 8- x 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line it with 2 pieces of parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the sides; coat with cooking spray.

2. Bring sugar, lemon juice, salt, and 1 cup of the water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, undisturbed, until a candy thermometer registers 230°F, 7 to 8 minutes. (Continue to simmer until mixture reaches 245°F.) Once sugar mixture reaches 230°F, whisk together 1/2 cup of the cornstarch and 1 cup of the water in a separate medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high, and cook, whisking constantly, until very thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
   

3. Once the sugar mixture reaches 245°F, stir cornstarch mixture into sugar mixture, and whisk constantly until the mixture looks smooth, about 3 minutes. Return to a boil over medium-high, and cook, undisturbed, until the candy thermometer registers about 250°F, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Meanwhile, stir together gelatin and remaining 1/4 cup water. Add to mixture in saucepan, and whisk until completely smooth. Stir in rosewater, orange blossom water, and food coloring. Pour half of the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and spread half of the pistachios over top. Stir remaining pistachios into remaining half of mixture in saucepan; pour over pistachio layer in baking dish. Let stand at room temperature, uncovered, until completely cool and set, at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.

About this recipe

Pull out your candy thermometer to make this iconic Turkish dessert at home

Frequently asked questions

What is Turkish Delight?

Turkish Delight, also known as lokum, is a jelled, chewy candy often mixed with chopped nuts or dates. It is traditionally made from a sugar syrup mixed with starch to thicken the mixture.

What does Turkish Delight taste like?

Rosewater is the most popular flavor of Turkish Delight, but orange blossom water, vanilla, cinnamon, and lemon are also readily available. We used rosewater and orange blossom water in this recipe to balance the floral rosewater with tart lemon juice and sweet, citrusy orange blossom water. 

Should you use liquid or gel food coloring?

We recommend using gel food coloring in this recipe. A small amount of gel food coloring gives you a rich color; add a drop at a time and stir it in before adding more. You will need more liquid food coloring to achieve a rich, deep color, and that additional liquid can create a problem with this recipe, requiring more cooking time for the candy to firm up.  

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

It’s important to make the cornstarch mixture as the sugar mixture is in its final minutes of cooking, and not in advance (it will get lumpy if made too far in advance). 

Cutting sticky candy like Turkish Delight can be messy, but we found that coating a sharp chef’s knife with cooking spray makes it easier and cleaner. 

Make ahead

Let the Turkish Delight cool completely before cutting and storing it, but do not store it in the refrigerator. The cool air tends to draw out the moisture, making it “sweat” when refrigerated. If this happens, blot the Turkish Delight with a paper towel and dust with more powdered sugar.

This recipe was developed by Marianne Williams; the text was written by Chandra Ram.