GREEK LOUKOUMI( TURKISH DELIGHT) RECIPE

Loukoumi is the little dessert that you can eat it with Greek coffee at  traditional cafes in Greece and is an integral part of the treats in Orthodox monasteries. In our country the art of loukoumi arrived from Konstantinoupoli during the first decades of the 19th century.

 The materials are simple, water, sugar, starch and  sour. The recipe is complicated with many secrets and peculiarities. Briefly, in a cauldron we boil the water, the  sugar, the starch and the citric acid. At the same time all the ingredients are blended for hours until they become a transparent, sticky mixture, which goes on a flat surface  greased with icing sugar. It stays there until  is cool and stabilized. Then its cut into pieces of different sizes, small, known as "bites" and large, the famous "rachat", the word itself means that you can enjoy with your rachati with your comfort!

Here is one of many recipes for this delicious treat! 

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup corn starch

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 teaspoons rose water

3 tablespoons shelled pistachios, halved lengthwise

red food coloring

1/4 cup confectioners sugar, for coating

2 tablespoons cornstarch extra, for coating

Preparation

Put the sugar and lemon juice in a pan with 3/4 cup of water. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil. Simmer without stirring for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a small dab is soft and pliable between your fingers when it's dropped into cold water (soft ball stage or 240 on a candy thermometer). 

Combine the cornstarch and cream of tartar in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and whisk in 

1 and 1/2 cups water until smooth. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until thick. Slowly stir in the sugar syrup. Simmer over very low heat until very thick and pale golden, 60 to 70 minutes. Stir often to ensure that your mixture isn't sticking to the pan. Brush and 8 and 1/4 by 4 and 1/2 inch dish with straight sides with oil and line with plastic wrap. Stir in the rose water and pistachios into the mixture and add the coloring drop by drop until you have a soft rose petal pink. Pour spread?!? into the dish and cool overnight, covered. Combine the confectioners sugar and cornstarch on a plate. Cut the loukoumi into 1 and 1/4 inch squares and toss in the sugar mix. It will keep for week in a covered tin or box, not an airtight container.