There is a candy that I dearly love, called Aplets and Cotlets and Fruit Delights. It is manufactured by Liberty Orchards of Cashmere, WA. I have toured the factory a couple of times and always come home with a big box or two of their "irregulars" (cheaper) and Pop always brings me some back when he goes out to visit. I have seen small boxes of it around here at Christmas time. They are $2.50 for a 5 oz. box - 12 pieces. The info in the box says that they are based on an old recipe for Rahat Locum or Turkish Delight. I sure would like to learn to make something like them myself - to insure a year round supply and ease the strain on my pocketbook! Ingredient list on the box is: corn syrup, sugar, walnuts, corn starch, pectin, natural flavors, apricot puree, apple conceentrate, sodium citrate, citric acid, malic acid. They are a chewy, jelly like candy, full of nuts. Any help would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks!!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), August 22, 2000

Answers

Polly, my husband has a collection of honey cookbooks, and I knew I'd seen a recipe for Turkish Delight in one of them -- I had to move some stuff and stand on a honey super to get to the cookbook shelf, as he hasn't extracted his honey yet. I haven't tried this recipe, and the book was published in England, so hope you can find all the ingredients.

Turkish Delight (makes 25 squares)

165 g. * 5 1/2 oz. very light-coloured honey 300 g. * 10 oz. sugar 1 TBSP rosewater 2 TBSP gelatine 2 or more drops red food colouring 60 g. * 2 oz. icing sugar 2 TBSP cornflour (I suspect this is actually cornstarch) 50 g. * 2 oz. hazelnuts rose petals for decoration

Pour 175ml/6 fl. oz. water into a deep-sided saucepan; when the gelatine is added later, the syrup will foam and increase in volume. Add the honey and sugar and stir over low heat until the sugar is fully dissolved. Then bring to a boil, gently skimming off any froth with a clean metal spoon without disturbing the syrup.

Boil the syrup rapidly for about 15-20 minutes until it reaches 116 degress C/240 degrees F, the soft ball stage. If you do not own a sugar thermometer you can still test thether the syrup is ready. Using a clean teaspoon, drop a little syrup into a bowl of ice-cold water and mould the syrup into a ball. If the syrup holds its shape it has reached the soft ball stage.

While the syrup is boiling, place the rosewater in a small bowl with 3 tablespoons of hot, but not boiling, water. Sprinkle the gelatine over and stir rapidly with a fork until nearly dissolved. Place the bowl of gelatine in a large bowl of boiling water to keep the gelatine liquid until needed.

When the syrup has reached the soft ball stage, remove from the heat and add the gelatin solution with 2 or more drops of food coloring to achieve the desired shade of pink.

Rinse a 19cm/7 1/2 inch squareor similar tin under water, to prevent sticking. Pour in the syrup and skim the top to make it perfectly clear. Leave overnight to set.

Using a sharp knife dipped in warm water, cut the Turkish Delight into 4cm/1 1/2 inch squares. Mix the icing sugar and cornflour together and sprinkle over a tray. Toss the Turkish Delight squares in this and serve on a plate sprinkled with hazelnuts and decorated with rose petals.

Polly, it looks like you could probably alter this fairly easily to make aplets and cotlets by using fruit puree in the gelatin solution. Let me know if you try it and it works!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), August 23, 2000.

Thanks, Kathleen! I'll print it out and give it a try, here soon. I have to work the next few days, them am leaving for a short vacation, and straight back to work - so it will probably take me a few weeks to try it.

Thanks for braving the honey supers!! I really do appreciate your effort!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), August 23, 2000.

When introducing the kids to CS Lewis books, we had a turkish delight party while watching "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". All disliked the confection, including grown-ups. Its what you are used to. Good luck.

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), August 23, 2000.

While traveling the rocky roads of Greece, loukoumi (turkish delight) did a fine job of plugging up a hole in the gas tank of our little old car. IMO, it's the best use for the stuff.

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), August 24, 2000.

P.S. I have a different recipe if you want one.

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), August 24, 2000.

Wow - the stuff I like must not be the same as you folks had - everyone in my (very!) extended family loves the stuff!! I put out a big mixed box at my New Years open house and it was gone in a heartbeat!

Yes, Jean - may I please have your recipe, too? I've been looking for a year or so for a recipe and had not been able to find one - now I have two!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), August 24, 2000.

Polly, I do have to admit that I like Aplets & Cotlets, too. Here's the recipe for loukoumi: Soften 3 T plain gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water. Combine 2 cups sugar with 1/2 cup hot water and heat to boiling. Add gelatin and simmer 20 minutes. Add the grated rind and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon, and red or green coloring. Strain into a loaf pan ( or any pan so that the mixture is 1/2 to 1 inch deep. Add chopped nuts if desired. When cold, turn it onto a board. Cut into cubes and roll in powdered sugar. If preferred, other flavors, such as peppermint, wintergreen, rose water, or almond may be used. Simply omit fruit juice and rind, add 1/2 cup of water plus the flavoring to recipe. This is from my Philoptochos Society cookbook. I'm sure you could play with the recipe to get what you want. Happy cooking!

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), August 24, 2000.

I too have had the Aplets and Cotlets, and they are a world apart from any Turkish Delight I've had -- what I had was in England, and it basically tasted (and smelled) like some extremely jellied floral shampoo!! It was bad. All I can say is that tastes differ by localities/times. I suspect that if you make up your own recipe following their ingredient list and cook to taste, you won't go too far wrong. Stir it often. I am very fond of quince paste, which is cooked down pureed quince fruit and sugar, it's great w/cheese, and the addition of a gelling agent (plus your nuts,adjustments of sugar and tartening agents) will set it up well. Pour it into a pan to cool, cut it up and roll in powedered sugar and I think you can make your own recipe to suit your family and whatever fruit you are growing or can get locally.

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), August 26, 2000.

LOL!!! Julie, your description of the Turkish Delight you'd had in England is about what the recipe I posted made me think of -- that recipe did come from an English cookbook, so is probably the same as what you had! I did have another thought, though. My oldest daughter told me about an internet site that has proprietary recipes on it -- maybe they would have the Aplets and Cotlets recipe, too. I don't remember the name of it, so will have to e-mail her -- with a new baby, it might be a few days before I hear from her, but when I do, I will post it.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), August 26, 2000.

Here are 2 different Aplets & Cotlets recipes, neither of which I've tried:

***Aplets & Cotlets Version 1***

Categories: Candies Yield: 64 servings 3 tb Gelatin 3 c Apple juice or unsweetened -apricot juice 1 1/3 c Granulated sugar 2 tb Each lemon and lime juice, -or more as needed 2/3 c Cornstarch 2 c Walnuts, chopped 1 c Powdered sugar

Makes about 64 small cubes Soften the gelatin in 1/2 cup of the apple juice. Boil remaining juice with the sugar for 15 minutes to concentrate it. Mix the lemon and lime juice, and add all but 1/4 cup cornstarch to dissolve it in the mixture. Add both gelatin mixture and cornstarch mixture to the boiled juice and boil again rapidly for 10 minutes until very thick, stirring constantly. Taste for sweet and sour and add more lemon juice if wanted. Mix in the walnuts and pour mixture into a 9-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan that has been dipped in cold water. Let paste harden 12 hours or overnight, then cut with a sharp knife into squares. Mix together the reserved 1/4 cup cornstarch and powdered sugar. Remove squares with a spatula and roll each in the powdered sugar mixture (the cornstarch helps keep the sugar dry). ***Aplets & Cotlets Version 2***

Cotlets (Northwestern Apricot Candy)

2 cups dried apricots 1 cup warm water 2 cups sugar 1 Tablespoon cornstarch 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 Tablespoons unflavored gelatin 1/2 cup cold water 1/2 to 2/3 cup chopped nuts 1/3 cup powdered sugar (for rolling)

Remove any stems or blemishes from apricots. Soak in warm water 1 hour, then cook slowly in same water until very tender, stirring to avoid scorching. Put through food mill or sieve. Cook apricot pulp until thick in 2 quart heavy saucepan, stirring frequently to avoid scorching.

Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt and add to apricot pulp. cook until very thick, stirring constantly. Add gelatin, which has been softened in cold water. Stir until gelatin is dissolved and cook until mixture is again thick. Remove from heat. Mix in nuts. Turn into shallow 9 by 7 inch glass dish that has been rinsed with cold water. Let stand 24 hours, uncovered. Cut candy in rectangular pieces and roll in powdered sugar. Let stand on rack until outside is dried (texture should be slightly chewy). Store in covered container. Makes about 1 pound 12 ounces, depending on amount of nuts used.

(Aplets) Northwestern Apple Candy -- Dry before storing

4 to 5 unpeeled apples 2 Tablesp. gelatin 1/2 cup cold water. 2 cups sugar 1 Tablesp. cornstarch 1/8 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 1 Tablespoon lemon juice 1/3 cup powdered sugar.

Wash apples and cut in small pieces. Cook until very tender in just enough water to avoid scorching. Put through food mill and measure 2 cups pulp into 2 quart heavy saucepan. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Soften gelatin in cold water. Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt; add to apple pulp and cook over low heat until very thick, stirring constantly. Add gelatin and stir until mixture is again very thick; remove from heat. Stir in walnuts, lemon peel and juice. Turn into shallow glass dish rinsed in cold water. Let stand 24 hours. Cut in rectangles and roll in powdered sugar; place on rack until outside is dry.

-- Susan (scarroll@brobeck.com), August 27, 2000.

Polly,

I too love Applets. I've tried the gelatin recipes but didn't care for them. I found a recipe with pectin and corn syrup. The consistency seemed to more closely match applets but I made the recipe exactly as it was so the flavor wasn't right.

1 pkg pectin 3/4 cup cold water 1/2 tspn baking soda 1 cup sugar 1 cup light corn syrup 2 tspn imitation strawberry extract red food coloring powdered sugar

Combine pectin, water & baking soda in a med. pan. Combine sugar & corn syrup in a large pan. Place both over high heat. Cook and stir until foam disappears from pectin mix and corn syrup mix is boiling, about 5 min. Pour pectin into corn syrup in a thin stream. boil stirring constantly for 1 min. Remove from heat. Stir in extract and color. Immediately pour into 8x8x2 pan. Stand at room temp for 3 hrs. Cut & roll in sugar.

I think this is the recipe I used that turned out pretty well. I've been busy moving and haven't had a chance to try it recently.

Sharon

-- Sharon (kaori11801@aol.com), August 29, 2000.