Okay folks, I've been trialling a couple of Ginger Turkish Delight recipes, for those who don't like the rosewater or other florally flavours. I have a friend who makes it, but she won't part with the recipe, so I've trialled two, and this is the best, adapted from a recipe by Elizabeth Labau.

It's made the traditional way, with a long cook-time, and I'm thinking I might try it in the crockpot next time.... But it is from a traditional recipe, so be patient, it works!

GINGER Turkish Delight Recipe - Yield: approx. 1 kg (32 Servings)
An adaptation of Elizabeth Labau’s recipe by Autumnwinds
Ingredients
• 4 cups sugar
• 4 1/2 cups water (divided)
• Large piece of fresh ginger root (size of one large thumb)
• 2 teaspoons. lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cups cornflour
• 1 teaspoon. cream of tartar
• 2 Tablespoons ginger syrup (from jar of ginger in syrup)**
• 1 Tablespoon preserved or crystallized ginger *cut to taste – I prefer tiny matchstick thick chunks, some might like it minced
• 2 drops yellow food colouring (if desired)
• 1 cup icing sugar

Method:
1. Have all the ingredients ready on the bench, and prepare a 9x9 pan by lining it with aluminium foil. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Put sugar, lemon juice, and 1 1/2 cups of the water in a medium pot over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves, then bring the mixture to a boil.
3. Do not stir, but brush down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming, and insert a candy thermometer. Let the sugar mixture continue to boil, without stirring, until it reaches 240 F on the candy thermometer. Once the sugar syrup is around 225 F, begin to prepare the next ingredients. prepared.
4. Place the remaining 3 cups of water in another, slightly larger, pot, add the cornflour and cream of tartar, then whisk until the cornflour powder dissolves and there are no lumps.
5. Put the second pot over medium heat, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring or whisking constantly. The mixture will become thick and pasty.
6. Once the sugar syrup is at 115 C / 240 F, remove the pot from the heat. Slowly, carefully, pour it into the cornflour mixture, whisking until it is fully incorporated.
7. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking it every 8 to 10 minutes, for about an hour, until the candy has turned a light golden-yellow colour and is very thick and gluey. At about 45 minutes, and using a garlic press, squeeze the juice of the ginger root into the mixture.
8. After an hour, remove from the heat and stir in the food colouring, the 2 Tablespoons of ginger syrup, and the tiny cubes of preserved or crystallized ginger.

autumnwinds - 2018-12-03 15:55:00

cont.....

Simmer a couple of minutes, then pour the candy into the prepared pan and allow it to set, uncovered, overnight.
9. The next day, slide the candy, foil side down, from the pan onto the bench, using the foil to assist. Dust your work area with the icing sugar, and flip the candy over, onto this.
10. Remove the foil from the back and dust the top with the sugar. Use an oiled chef’s knife (or large broad knife) to cut the Turkish Delight into small squares. Dust each side of the square with powdered sugar to prevent stickiness.
11. NOTE: Turkish Delight is best soon after it is made. It doesn’t keep very long, but if you want to keeping it, store it in an airtight container with waxed paper between the layers, and dust the sides with icing sugar again before serving. Enjoy!

** Unusually for me, I had no preserved ginger in syrup, so cheated by using some Bunderim Ginger syrup, and that was fine.

Enjoy!
(And I guess we'll find out who are the other patient confectioners by those who admit to trying it...... and someone is going to get some I've made, anyway.....)

autumnwinds - 2018-12-03 15:57:00

Oooh yum!! Have you tried smaller batches?

olwen - 2018-12-03 16:14:00

That IS a small batch, olwen - I think the potential for burning would be pretty high using a smaller batch than that. It only makes a 9" x 9" (approx 23 cm square) tin full.

When I try it in the crockpot, I'll be doubling the size.

Edited by autumnwinds at 4:27 pm, Mon 3 Dec

autumnwinds - 2018-12-03 16:26:00

Another recipe for Gingerfreaks, like myself......
Very easy.... makes 27-30, depending on exact size, and how many the cook eats.... originally posted by one of ours...

Gingernut truffles
* 250g gingernut biscuits
* 50g unsalted butter
* ¼ cup brown sugar
* ¼ cup condensed milk
* ¼ cup desiccated coconut
* ¼ cup finely chopped crystallised ginger
* extra desiccated coconut to roll truffles in
* Method:
* 1. Crush gingernut biscuits. A food processor is best, otherwise between two sheets of greaseproof paper with a rolling pin.
* 2. Put butter, brown sugar and condensed milk in a saucepan. Heat gently until melted and stir over heat a further two minutes.
* 3. Add gingernuts, coconut and crystallised ginger.
* 4. Take teaspoon-sized dollops of mixture and shape into balls. Roll in extra coconut.
* 5. These are fine stored in the fridge, but will last longer in the freezer (and are possibly even more delicious straight from the freezer. Originally posted by lindylambchops1 (43 ) 12:07 pm, Thu 30

They are delicious, easy and only take a short time to make....

autumnwinds - 2018-12-03 18:54:00

Ooohhh yum! Saving these to favourites thank you. I love ginger!
Have just been scoffing some Pams decadent ginger chunk cookies that I found in Pak n Save, really hot gingery chunks in chewy ginger biscuits, heaven lol

Edited by hound31 at 9:37 pm, Mon 3 Dec

hound31 - 2018-12-03 21:35:00

Can’t be much of a friend if she/he won’t share there recipe WE are all a long time dead !

Most cafes will even share recipes as they know customers after getting the recipe can’t be bothered making it AND actually will pay more for one slice knowing how much work goes into making it ! Lol

timturtle - 2018-12-03 21:40:00

A very long time ago I tried Chocolate turkish delight. It was reallly yum.

marcs - 2018-12-04 01:00:00

This message was deleted.

thymewarp - 2018-12-04 10:35:00

Made the truffles today. They are vanishing from the freezer.

I went shopping the other day for preserved ginger. New World didn't have it, and my favourite Asian and other specialities shop said that their suppliers didn't either. So I googled. Picked up about a kilo of root ginger at the vege shop. It's in the freezer reay to make this. https://www.talesfromthekitchenshed.com/2016/10/homemade-ste
m-ginger/

Edited by olwen at 10:17 pm, Sat 8 Dec

olwen - 2018-12-08 22:16:00

I have tried both of Autumnwinds recipes & I can assure you ...they are absolutely delicious! !0/10

samanya - 2018-12-09 16:48:00

I have 3 1/2 jars of preserved ginger. Plus some leftover syrup and ginger water. Might have to buy more sugar before making Turkish Delight

olwen - 2018-12-09 21:55:00

I found a problem with the gingernut truffle recipe. I made a batch the other day and putthem in the freezer. They seem to have evaporated. There are none left.

olwen - 2018-12-11 23:43:00

olwen wrote:

I found a problem with the gingernut truffle recipe. I made a batch the other day and putthem in the freezer. They seem to have evaporated. There are none left.

Hahhahahahahahaha !

You have a "Mrs Meanie" lurking.....
We have to keep all our chocolate and other treated high up in a special cupboard, to try and keep goodies safe... and still shes find them....

autumnwinds - 2018-12-12 19:19:00

bump

bev00 - 2019-12-13 00:14:00

Then it isn't Turkish Delight. TD is rosewater....
Ginger, yuk, horrible stuff. And it's just ginger jelly then.

lythande1 - 2019-12-13 07:44:00

I love ginger and turkish delight. But never knew it had that much sugar in it, Crikey!!

jan2242 - 2019-12-13 08:48:00

lythande1 wrote:

Then it isn't Turkish Delight. TD is rosewater....
Ginger, yuk, horrible stuff. And it's just ginger jelly then.

Yum!...ginger jelly even!

wheelz - 2019-12-15 15:16:00

Careful when crushing gingernuts in processor. Broke mine.prefer rolling pin

korbo - 2019-12-15 15:52:00

lythande1 wrote:

Then it isn't Turkish Delight. TD is rosewater....
Ginger, yuk, horrible stuff. And it's just ginger jelly then.

I beg to differ. Ginger is heavenly.

buzzy110 - 2019-12-15 15:58:00

And there's many many flavours of Turkish delight besides rosewater

wheelz - 2019-12-15 16:25:00