My Favorite Recipes Collection: Turkish Pistachio Delight with Loads Pistachioes and a Hint of Orange flavor (Locum)

Turkish delight or Lokum is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are often flavored with rose water mastic gum, bergamot orange or lemon The confection is often packaged and eaten in small cubes dusted with icing sugar or powdered cream of tartar to prevent clinging. The origin of Turkish delight is not precisely known, but the confection is known to have been produced in Turkey and Iran (Persia) as early as the late 18th century. The exact origin of these sweets is yet to be definitively determined; however, the word Lokum comes from the Arabic al-lukum. In the Arab world Turkish delights are called (rāḥat al-ḥulqūm) which means 'throat comfort'.

We took our long awaited vacation to Turkey after the pandemic and had a wonderful time there and tried variety of vegetarian dishes there. Loved the Turkish delight with loads of pistachio especially the Pomegranate Turkish Delight with loads of pistachio. Unfortunately could not bring it all here, when I came back, went to local Middle eastern market and found expensive box of Turkish delight with pistachios. On the box the picture showed lot of pistachios but we were very disappointed when took a bite there were hardly one or one half pistachio in each bite. So I decided to make my own from the taste of both plain Turkish delight with pistachios and Pomegranate pistachio delight with lots and lots of pistachios. Browsed on line found some recipes and I decided to come up with my own recipe. Here I am posting the Plain Pistachio Delight with Hint of Orange flavor and my next post would be of Pomegranate Pistachio delight. Here is is how I made it...

Ingredients:

3 cups cane sugar
1and 1/4 cup corn starch
2 and 1/4 cup of water divided in to two part one cup and one and 1/4 cup
Juice from one fresh lime or you can use lemon
4 cups of roasted salted pistachios (I used shelled pistachios from Costco) and one half cup extra crushed pistachio for topping)
4 table spoon of orange marmalade with less sugar
2 tables spoon of orange blossom water
2 drops of liquid green food color
2 tablespoon of corn starch
2 tablespoon of powdered sugar
8 x 8 square cake pan, parchment paper and vegetable oil spray
3 table spoon of butter or ghee

Method:

Spray vegetable oil on the 8 x 8 square cake pan and line with parchment paper. (I used silicone pan)
Dust/sprinkle some corn starch on it evenly and set aside.
Dry roast the pistachio slightly on a flat griddle, not for long as the pistachios I used were already roasted, set them aside to cool. When cool, crush them gently in to some halves and some whole.
Bring one cup of water to boil, I used a deep square copper lined nonstick pan.
When water comes to a boil, add sugar and lime or lemon juice.
Turn the heat down to medium - low maintaining a constant boiling. You will see a foam forming. Keep intermittently stirring with wooden spoon and continue cooking until the sugar mixture reduces and thickens but before it changes to caramel. (~7-8 min).

While you are cooking the syrup, in a bowl mix corn starch and 1and 1/4 cup of cold water, stir/mix well until the smooth mixture of corn starch and water is obtained.
Check the sugar syrup on low heat is ready by scraping the bottom of pan with the spatula. The syrup should recede the the bottom as it should not be too watery liquid form.
Gradually add the corn starch and water mixture to the syrup while still on stove, and reduce the heat to low and stir constantly.
The mixture will slowly thicken, add marmalade and 2 tablespoon of butter or ghee (in Turkish recipe they don't add butter or ghee, but I learned this trick from a similar confectionery we make in India it is called Karachi Halwa, which has same texture as that of Turkish delight but they add loads of ghee in it)
The mixture become more and more difficult to stir, however at this point it will require constant stirring on low heat.

Then add orange blossom water, food color, and 4 cups of half crushed pistachios, mix well, and continue to stir constantly.
It is going to be even more difficult to stir.
It takes about an hour until it is ready, I recommend wearing workout gloves as I got the blisters on my palm from holding the wooden spatula too tight and stirring it constantly, ha...ha.
The preparation is ready when the content is completely detaches from the bottom of pan.
Empty the content (careful !) on parchment paper lined pan, Take a small stainless steel bowl or a measuring cup and smear the bottom of cup with butter or ghee and press the content down evenly in the pan, making about 1 inch thick layer.
Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of additional crushed pistachio on top and press it evenly.
Let it cool when completely cool, cover it with aluminum foil and let it dry at room temp for 24 hours.

I actually put it in the fridge for 24 hour.
Next day, flip the pan over on a cutting board and remove the parchment paper.
Flip the content over again and cut in to desire size of squares with a large sharp and smooth knife. You can brush the knife with some oil of ghee before slicing.
Then in a shallow bowl combine 2 table spoon of powdered sugar and 2 table spoon of corn starch and mix it with a whisk.
Roll each cut square in the mixture coating it evenly.
I actually made them for a party and froze them, but they will stay fresh for several weeks at room temperature in an airtight box, since it is hot weather so I put them in the fridge.
It was lot of work stirring the mix but was well worth it as we got to finally enjoy the Turkish delight with lots and lots of pistachio, just like we had it in Turkey.

As you can see in the picture below I left some without the corn starch and powdered sugar as I had put the in a slotted box separately.
The corn starch and powdered sugar mix is used so the squares don't stick together.