1 lb granulated sugar
1/4 level teaspoon cream of tartar
3-1/2 ounces cornflour
7 1/2 ounces icing sugar
2 ounces clear honey
2 teaspoons distilled rose water
natural red coloring (opt)
Lightly grease or oil a shallow 7″ square tin. Place granulated sugar and 1/4 pt water in a heavy-based saucepan. Stir over a moderate heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring to boil and boil quickly, without stirring, until ‘soft-ball’ stage is reached (240F on a sugar thermometer, or until a little, when dropped in a saucer of cold water, will just form a soft ball). Remove from heat, stir in cream of tartar and then leave on one side. While syrup is cooling mix 3 oz cornflour and 7 oz icing sugar in a large saucepan with a little cold water, taken from a measured 1 pt. Add remaining water. Bring to the boil, stirring all the time and cook for 2 min. Reduce heat and gradually pour the cooled syrup into the cornflour mixture, beating well with a wooden spoon. Bring to the boil and boil for 20-30 min over a low heat, stirring continuously, when mixture should be very pale straw in color and transparent.
Add honey and rosewater, mix thoroughly. Pour half the mixture into prepared tin. Put a tablespoon of the remainder into a cup, add a little natural red food coloring and mix well. Add the colored mixture to the remainder left in the pan and mix well. Pour over the mixture already in the tin. Leave until quite cold. Dip a sharp knife into icing sugar and cut Turkish Delight into 1″ bars. Mix 1/2 ounces cornflour with 1/2 oz icing sugar and roll bars in mixture to coat evenly. Leave for 3-4 hours, then cut into 1″ squares and coat again in mixture. Leave overnight. Pack.
Makes 49 pieces.