IMBB 17: Green Tea and Jasmine Turkish Delight

I've been on a tea kick lately, so when Clement announced the theme for this IMBB would be tea...I was happy to oblige! I've also been on an organic kick as well and bought stack of beautiful organic teas. I can honestly say, they have turned out to be far superior to any teas I've tried to date. The Earl Grey especially! When I peeled the cellophane back on the box of tea, I was hit with a wave of deep, fermented, bergamot-y perfume I have never, ever before smelled when I've opened a tea packet. I am flabbergasted that there could be such a difference in teas!

I originally wanted to make a green tea and jasmine fondant centred chocolate for this month's IMBB, but it is clear to me that fondant hates me. A lot. I gave it up as a bad job after three goes. I reckon if I couldn't make friends with fondant after three tries, then I did not deserve to be able to make the green tea and jasmine fondant chocolates. As much as it pains me to admit it. I am afraid I am the anti-fondant.

Fortuitously, as much as I am fondantily challenged, I have been blessed with an extremely good Turkish Delight recipe that really, really loves me. And I love it. It is perfect. The green jasmine tea flavour is a perfect variation on the more usual rosewater and pistachio. It really is totally easy to make and would make a divine small sweet to finish of an Asian inspired meal. The fragrance is divine, and the flavour delicate and sweet without being cloying, which I sometimes find is the trouble with traditional Turkish delight.

This recipe will make about 35 one inch cubes of sweet and tender, aromatic candy

Ingredients:

• 1 + 2/3 cup water
• 6 green/jasmine tea bags
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch

Boil the first portion of water in a large saucepan. Once it comes to the boil, remove from heat, add tea bags and allow to steep for 10 minutes. Remove tea bags and squeeze into the pot. Put pot aside to cool.

Combine sugar, lemon juice and second portion of water in medium saucepan over medium-high heat and stir until sugar is dissolved and liquid starts to bubble. Allow mixture to boil, without stirring, until it registers 240F on a candy thermometer (about 15 minutes). While the sugar mix is coming to temperature, sift the first portion of cornstarch and cream of tartar into the cooled tea. Whisk until all lumps are dissolved. It is imperative that the tea be cool when you do this, or the lumps will be impossible to dissolve. If your tea isn't cool enough, pop it in the frezzer for a few minutes. Once the cornstarch is thoroughly incorporated, cook the tea mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it becomes very thick and clear looking. Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring, with a wooden spatula.

The sugar mixture should be very near ready by this time. As soon at the candy thermometer registers 240f, remove the sugar from the stove. Pour the melted sugar mix slowly into the cornstarch mixture, stirring, or whisking, vigorously to combine. After the two mixtures are thoroughly incorporated and have formed a thick sticky paste, continue to cook, stirring over low heat for 45 minutes longer. The paste will continue to thicken during this time.

After 45 minutes, remove the paste from the heat and use a wooden spatula to scoop the paste and press it into a well oiled, non-stick pan approximately 8 by 4 inches (the size of a jumbo loaf tin). Place the tin in the fridge to cool for 2 hours.

Mix the remaining portions of cornstarch and icing sugar. Remove tin from fridge, the bottom of the tin should be cool to the touch. If it is still warm, return the tin to the fridge until it is cool.

Spread a 1/4 cup of the icing sugar mixture over a sheet of waxed paper laid on the counter. You should be able to lift the Turkish delight out of the tin with your hands. Place the slab of Turkish delight on the spread-out icing sugar and spread more mix over the top of the slab using your hands. Once the slab is covered on all sides with a layer of sugar, use a sharp knife to cut the slab into 1 inch squares. Toss the squares into more sugar mixture to coat them on all sides. Store in an airtight container.

Comments

[boo_licious]

This looks great. Now I know Turkish Delight is do-able at home, I must try it. Thanks so much.

[Stephanie]

Oh, Lyn! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Having grown up with the Chronicles of Narnia, Turkish Delight has long been one of those intriguingly 'foreign' treats I've not really had the chance to try. Now I can!

And Iove your choice of flavors. Nice job.

[Ana]

Beautiful Turkish Delight Lyn.

[Jeannie]

Will definitely try this - usually I stay away from Turkish Delights because they're too sweet, but your recipe looks just right (and yummy too!)

[anthony]

Turkish delicght is my favourite treat and I like what you've done with. I'll have to make some and eat them all myself.

[clare eats]

This looks soooo good lyn! YUM! I have always wanted to make turkish delight!

[mireille]

as my comments have blatantly demonstrated, I'm not the calibre of cook usually found among your readers ... but I am a perfumista and the cherry/almond confection that is turkish delight is known among us as two incredible fragrances: Serge Lutens Rahat Loukhoum and Keiko Mecheri Loukhoum ... now, to see a jasmine/green tea variation makes me wonder how THAT confection translates to scent. Does it smell as wonderful as it looks/tastes? xoxo

[Lyn]

Stef:
I too have that same Narnia feeling about Turkish Delight. When I was a kid there was a candy bar called Big Turk, which was chocolate coverred turkish delight. I went through a period of eating exclusively that kind of candy bar after reading the Narnia books

Mireille:
It smells divine when it's cooking.

Ana:
I usually find Turkish delight too sweet as well but this one is not too sweet.

[Rachael]

I have a habit of writing wow in a lot of food blog comment boxes, its just the perfect word (gasp?) to capture how I intially respond to an entry...and this day and this entry, well, I think deserves a double. SO,

WOW! WOW!

I love it!

-Rachael

[Paz]

Hi Everyone, I'm new to this blog.

This recipe looks like something I could try. I've never had jasmine tea (although I've had jasmin rice and love the fragrance).

This will a good opportunity to get the tea!

Paz