Turkish delight

Makes about 49 pieces

You will need: • 850g caster sugar • 1L water • 20g gelatine powder • 200g cornflour • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, such as Bextartar • 2 tablespoons lemon juice • 1 tablespoon sunflower oil • 2 teaspoons rosewater • Few drops of pink or red food colouring (optional) • 75g icing sugar

1To make this recipe, you’ll also need a 20cm square non-stick cake tin and a sugar thermometer. Put the caster sugar and 500ml of the water in a large, heavy-based saucepan on a medium heat and bring it to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for about 25 minutes without stirring, until a sugar thermometer dipped into the mixture reads 125°C, 257°F. 2 In the meantime, stir the gelatine power, 125g of the cornflour and the cream of tartar together in another large pan. Gradually whisk the remaining 500ml of water into the mixture, beating well after each addition, to form a smooth paste. Be sure to break up any lumps, as the gelatine may cause the mixture to stick together a little. Put the pan on a medium heat, and simmer, whisking all the time, for 3-5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Remove the pan from the heat. 3 As soon as the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature of 125°C, 257°F, stir in the lemon juice (standing back as it will sizzle up a little). Working carefully, gradually pour the sugar syrup into the gelatine, cornflour and cream of tartar mixture, whisking constantly. 4 Put the pan on a low heat and simmer the mixture gently for about an hour, until it reaches 110°C, 230°F in temperature. Stir frequently to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pan, particularly towards the end of cooking. Grease the cake tin with the sunflower oil. 5 As soon as the mixture reaches the correct temperature (it should be a deep golden colour), add the rosewater and the drops of food colouring, if you are using it, and stir until everything is well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, spreading it out evenly. Set the tin aside to cool to room temperature, then put it in the fridge for 4 hours, or overnight, until the Turkish delight is firm. 6 Spoon the icing sugar and the remaining 75g of cornflour into a fine sieve and dust half of it onto a clean work surface. Turn the Turkish delight out of the tin and use a lightly oiled knife to cut it into about 49 pieces (seven by seven). Dust the pieces with the remaining icing sugar and cornflour, then toss the pieces around to coat them generously. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.