Turkish Delight
While studying The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, children inevitably ask about the treat that Edmund was served by the White Witch, called Turkish Delight. Turkish Delight does, in fact, come from Turkey. The imperial court's confectioner, whose family still runs the shop in Istanbul that he began, invented it in the late 1700's. It comes in many flavors such as lemon, rosewater, pistachio, orange and even chocolate. This recipe is for a basic lemon flavored Delight. We served a double batch to our homeschool book club when we studied The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and it was a big hit!
3 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup hot water
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
Pour the cold water into a small bowl and stir in the gelatin. Set aside.
Bring the hot water and the granulated sugar to a boil while stirring constantly. Lower the heat and add the salt. Stir in the gelatin water until it dissolves. Simmer this mixture for twenty minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool for about ten minutes. Stir in both types of lemon.
Rinse a 6" square pan in cold water, and allow it to stay wet. Pour in the gelatin mixture. Cover, and let it cool overnight.
Uncover and cut the set gelatin into cubes. (I found it was easiest to cut the cubes in the pan, then remove them. You will also need to run a knife around the outside edges of the pan.) Roll all of the cubes in the confectioner's sugar. Enjoy!
