Rahat al-Halqoom (Turkish Delight)

Ingredients

• 4 cups sugar
• 2 1/4 cups water
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon rose water
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water (to dissolve the cornstarch)
• A pinch of mastic + 1 tablespoon sugar, ground together
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring — optional
• For coating: 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 cup cornstarch
• Rahat recipe from a friend and cook on the Sho Tabkhin El-Youm site:
• Esraa Salem Smak
• Click Esraa's name to visit her profile on our site
• For more desserts from Esraa, see Despacito cake

Method

1. In a pot, put the sugar and water with a squeeze of lemon, stir while cold, then place over heat until you have a syrup; let the syrup boil for ten minutes.
2. Meanwhile dissolve the cornstarch in a cup of water, and after the syrup has boiled for ten minutes add the cornstarch mixture to it and stir well.
3. Continue stirring for at least ten minutes until the rahat thickens; to test, put a spoonful of the mixture into a cup of cold water for a minute and stretch the rahat — this tells you from its texture if it is ready.
4. Grind the mastic with a tablespoon of sugar and add it to the rahat mixture in the pot; also add butter to give softness, rose water and vanilla and food coloring; stir and remove the pot from the heat.
5. Pour the rahat mixture into a mold lined with parchment paper; also place parchment on top.
6. Leave the rahat at room temperature for 3 or 4 hours, then sprinkle sugar and cornstarch on the surface and toss it; also dust the top with a mixture of powdered sugar and cornstarch.
7. Cut it into squares.
8. Serve the rahat al-halqoom between two biscuits or on its own.
9. Esraa Salem Samak
10. Click on Esraa’s name to visit her profile on our site.
11. For more desserts from Esraa, here is the Despacito cake