1 lb glucose
5-1/2 lbs granulated sugar
3/4 lb cornflour
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon pulverized mastic
a few drops of cochineal or other food coloring, if desired
3 tablespoons orange blossom water or rose water
3-4 ounces almonds or pistachios, chopped
Cornflour to dust the tray
Icing sugar
Put the glucose and the granulated sugar into a large pan with 2 cups of water. Stir well and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Put the cornflour into another large pan. Add 6 cups of water gradually stirring until well mixed. Bring to a boil slowly, stirring all the time, until you have a smooth, creamy white paste. Add this slowly to the hot sugar and water syrup, stirring vigorously so that no lumps form.
Bring to a boil again and cook, uncovered, over a constant low flame for 3 hours, stirring as often as possible with a wooden spoon. (In the commercial preparation, a mechanical stirrer operates continuously. If you’ve got kids or guests, you might put them to work here.) If the flame is too high, the bottom of the mixture will tend to caramelize.
The mixture must be cooked until it reaches the right consistency. This takes about 3 hours, and on this depends the success of the recipe. To test if the consistency is right, squeeze a small blob of the mixture between two fingers. Only when it clings to both fingers as they are drawn apart, making gummed threads, is it ready. It may then have acquired a warm golden glow.
Add the lemon juice and the flavorings. The mastic should be ground with a little granulated sugar to be successfully pulverized. Add coloring if you wish. Stir vigorously and cook a few minutes longer. Add the chopped nuts and mix well. Pour the hot mixture out about 1 inch deep into trays that have been dusted with cornflour to prevent sticking. Flatten it with a knife and leave it to set for at least 24 hours. Then cut it into squares with a sharp knife and roll in sifted icing sugar.
For a richer flavor, a few tablespoons of grape juice are substituted for some of the water added to the cornstarch.