Turkish Delight more firm with pectin

Dear Laura: I’ve found several Turkish Delight recipes on the Internet, but they all use unflavored gelatin and tend to come out gummy and gooey. Do you have a close-to-authentic recipe using pectin? – J.K.

Dear J.K.: I found the following recipe on a couple of different Web sites so I can’t say for sure where the original recipe came from, but it does use pectin and it turns out firm. I hope it works for you.

Turkish Delight

Found at www.recipecottage.com and www.hungrymonster.com

2 tablespoons water

¾ cup liquid fruit pectin

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup light corn syrup

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup jelly, any flavor (raspberry, apricot, peach, etc.)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (optional)

½ cup broken nuts (such as pistachios)

Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Put water and pectin in a very heavy 2-quart pan. Stir in baking soda. The soda will cause foaming, do not be alarmed.

Put the corn syrup and sugar in a second pan.

Put both pans on high heat. Stir alternately for 3 to 5 minutes or until foaming has ceased in pectin pot and boiling is active in the other. Then, still stirring the corn syrup mixture, gradually and steadily pour the pectin mixture into it. Continue stirring and boiling, and add the jelly during the next minute.

Remove the mixture from heat and stir in lemon juice, rind and nuts.

Pour into an 8-by-8-inch pan. Let stand at room temperature for about 3 hours. When the mixture is very firm, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar. Cut into shapes or squares by pressing down with a buttered or sugared knife. Release the candies onto a sugared tray so all sides become coated. If you plan to store the candies, let them stand for 12 hours or more on a rack. Re-dust on all sides and pack, then store tightly covered. If you want to dip them in chocolate, remove the excess sugar first.

Yield: Approximately 1 1/2 pounds

Nutrition per 1/16 of recipe: 131 calories, 1.9 grams fat (less than 1 gram saturated, 13 percent fat calories), less than 1 gram protein, 30 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, less than 1 gram dietary fiber, 67 milligrams sodium.

Dear Laura: I am wondering if you can tell me the best way to toast nuts. I find so many newer recipes calling for toasted nuts. – Norma, of Spokane

Dear Norma: Toasting nuts deepens their flavor but they also turn rancid more quickly when toasted so be sure to use them within a few days of toasting. I prefer to toast nuts in a dry skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat. To me it’s easier to keep an eye on them on the stove than in the oven, where they always seem to be just starting to toast one minute and burned the next. If using the stovetop method, shake the pan often and watch for the nuts to turn light brown, usually about 2 or 3 minutes for something like thinly sliced almonds. Thicker pieces may take longer. Remove from heat and pour onto a plate to cool.

If you prefer to try the oven method, David Joachim, author of “Brilliant Food Tips and Cooking Tricks,” suggests spreading the nuts on a baking sheet and toasting at 300 degrees Fahrenheit just until they start to become fragrant. This can take between 5 and 15 minutes depending on the size of the nuts, he writes.

Toasted nuts are great additions to many recipes, such as baked goods and toppings for salads. Here’s a tasty treat for the holidays from The Spokesman-Review’s Dorothy Dean files, which calls for toasting walnuts in a 350-degree oven.

Sugared Walnuts

From Dorothy Dean Homemaker Services, E-Series

2 1/2 cups walnut halves

1 cup sugar

½ cup water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Toast walnut halves at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally; cool. Measure sugar, water, cinnamon and salt into saucepan; cook to soft ball stage, 236 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Add vanilla and nuts. Stir gently until the mixture becomes creamy. Turn onto greased platter; separate walnuts as they cool.

Yield: 2 ½ cups

Approximate nutrition per 1/4 -cup serving: 239 calories, 15.4 grams fat (1.5 grams saturated, 60 percent fat calories), 3.6 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 1.3 grams dietary fiber, 119 milligrams sodium.