If you have gone to Turkey surely you have brought back as edible souvenirs some tea, another bit of salep and lokum.
The lokum, better known in western countries as Turkish Delights, are cube-shaped and gummy-looking sweets that will remind you the jelly beans. There are many versions, from the simplest - and also most popular - with the essence of roses and dipped in a kind of powdered sugar to coconut cutlery and stuffed with nuts. Whatever the version purchased, everyone will have that texture that makes them so similar to treats. In fact because they are actually made just like soft jelly beans or candies to which we are accustomed in the West.
The lokum are extremely easy to make, requiring very few ingredients and which can also be found easily everywhere.
I give you the recipe of a Turkish company dedicated to manufacturing lokum and that kindly has given me, naturally reducing the amount to domestic proportions. I have done it following his instructions and there has been no problem. The measurements are given in cups - one cup is around 200 ml - which are the usual ones to serve water. As the recipe works well with these measures I have not changed them to metric system except in some cases.
INGREDIENTS :
4 cups of sugar
1 cups of cornstarch
1 lemon
Bottled or filtered water
Powdered sugar (to decorate)
1 teaspoon vanilla or rose essence (to taste)
Optional:
Food coloring (red or yellow)
In a casserole over low heat we pour all the sugar and a cup and a half of water (300 ml).
In the same mixture we incorporate 2 teaspoons of lemon juice (the lemon will prevent the sugar from crystallizing).
Stir well and continuously until it starts to boil. It must boil until the syrup reaches the point of strand, that is, that the spoon with which we remove when separated from the syrup forms a continuous thread between it and the liquid.
At that moment we put out the fire. If we have an induction plate that conserves heat, we must completely remove the casserole.
In another casserole we pour the glass of cornstarch (or cornmeal, if you do not have cornstarch) and a teaspoon of lemon juice or cream of tartar (if you have the latter). We incorporate 3 cups of water - 600 ml - mixing with some metal rods so that no clumps remain. We take this casserole to the fire and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens.
When it thickens - when the spoon passes through the bottom, the dough takes a few seconds to occupy the space - we lower the heat to a minimum and start adding the syrup that we had previously done while stirring so that it is well mixed.
Now we must let the mixture make over the fire but at the minimum possible for about 45 minutes, stirring frequently. You will check that the dough is getting darker.
At 45 minutes we disconnect the fire - we separate it if it is ceramic hob - and pour the essence of vanilla or roses, stirring well so that it is distributed evenly while the mixture still bubbles. If we want we can then add a dye. If we have chosen essence of roses, red dye is used and if it is vanilla it is usually yellow dye but there is no problem in choosing any other color.
We need a rectangular or square mold not very large, so that when pouring the mixture it reaches 1 centimeter of height (a bit less of half an inch), more or less.
Grease the mold with butter and pour the mixture.
Let stand in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
The next day we extract the solidified dough and place it on the kitchen marble that we have previously covered with a mixture of glass sugar and cornstarch. With the help of a knife or a pizza cutter we make cubes of the dough that we take to a bowl where we have just bathed them in glass sugar so that they take on their characteristic appearance. Now you can enjoy your lokum without leaving home.
Easy, isn't?