When I was a kid, there were two different kinds of people- those who liked Harry Potter and those who liked The Chronicles of Narnia. Although I belonged more to the former, I have to admit that the food in The Chronicles of Narnia looks really, REALLY good. One of the most famous treats from the series is Turkish delight. Shoot, there's even an entire chapter dedicated to it! In The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Edmund and the White Witch share a bite together...
"It is dull, Son of Adam, to drink without eating," said the White Witch presently. "What would you like best to eat?"
"Turkish Delight, please, your Majesty," said Edmund.
The White Witch let another drop fall from her bottle on to the snow, and instantly there appeared a round box, tied with green silk ribbon, which, when opened, turned out to contain several pounds of the best Turkish Delight. Each piece was sweet and light to the very centre and Edmund had never tasted anything more delicious.
Believe it or not, Turkish delight is actually a real dessert that has been around since the 1700's. There are about a million ways to make Turkish Delight, but I thought we'd go for a simple, microwavable version!
What you'll need:
2 1/2 cups of cold water
3/4 cup cornstarch, plus 1/2 cup for dusting candy squares
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tbsp. pure lemon extract
2 drops red or pink liquid food coloring
Cooking spray, or cooking oil (light taste, like canola) for greasing pan
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions:
1. Pour the water into a 4-quart glass bowl. Whisk in the 3/4 cup cornstarch 1/4 cup at a time until dissolved.
2. Microwave mixture for 2 minutes; whisk smooth.
3. Add sugar and corn syrup. Heat for 5 minutes in microwave.
4. Heat for an additional 5 minutes and whisk in lemon juice and food coloring.5. Grease the 8x8 or loaf pan with cooking spray or oil and pour in candy batter. Let candy set up at room temperature until firm enough to handle. This may take several hours - mine set up in about two.
6. Cut candy with a sharp knife or scissors into even squares. You can do this in the pan or turn the block of candy out on a cutting board dusted with cornstarch.
7. In a bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup powdered sugar.
I didn't even know you could make such an awesome dessert in the microwave! It sure beats having to slave over the oven for a full blown cake. The best part about this recipe is that it makes about fifty pieces of candy- more than enough to keep you satisfied for a long while!
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