Recipe for the White Witch's Turkish Delight

• Edmund is tempted by enchanted Turkish Delight.
• Homemade rose-flavored recipe.
• Slow cooking, then a night of rest.

Why Turkish Delight?

In the book, the White Witch asks Edmund what he would like to eat. He replies, “Turkish Delight.” The candy is enchanted: the more you eat, the more you want. In rationed post-war England, it was a rare luxury. The choice speaks volumes about the temptation: a sweet treat that is never enough.

The Turkish Delight is a confection from Turkey made with starch and sugar, popularized in the eighteenth century by confectioners in Istanbul.

Ingredients (about 40 cubes)

• 500 g sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 80 g cornstarch (Maïzena)
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 850 ml water in total
• 2 tablespoons rose water
• a few drops of pink food coloring (optional)
• for coating: 4 tablespoons powdered sugar and 2 of cornstarch
• a little neutral oil for the mold

Instructions

1. The mold. Oil a square mold about 20 cm, line it with parchment paper, oil again and dust lightly with the powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture.
2. The syrup. In a saucepan, heat the sugar, lemon juice and 250 ml of water, stirring until dissolved. Then allow to boil without stirring until it reaches 115 °C (soft-ball stage). Remove from heat.
3. The starch paste. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch, cream of tartar and 600 ml of cold water. Heat while whisking until you get a thick, smooth paste.
4. Mixing. Slowly pour the hot syrup in a thin stream over the paste, whisking continuously.
5. Slow cooking. Cook over very low heat for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring often. The paste becomes translucent, golden, very thick, and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
6. Flavoring. Off the heat, add the rose water and food coloring.
7. Resting. Pour into the prepared mold, smooth the top, and let set at room temperature for at least one night, uncovered.
8. Cutting. Unmold onto a lightly dusted board, cut into cubes with an oiled knife, then roll each cube in the remaining powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture.

Tips and variations

• Add chopped pistachios at step 6.
• Replace the rose water with lemon, mint or orange blossom water.
• Store in an airtight box between layers of powdered sugar, never in the refrigerator.

Safety: The syrup exceeds 110 °C. An adult should handle this step.

See also

• Edmund Pevensie
• Jadis, the White Witch
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• From the Lamp-post to the Last King: twenty questions to test your memory of Narnia
• A Year with Narnia: dates to celebrate, from Narnia Day to Lewis’s birthday
• Enchanted Turkish Delight