Homemade sweets and candies are always a pleasure to make and to receive as a Valentine's Day gift.

　　A box of sugar-dusted, rose-scented Turkish Delight is something we often associate with Christmas but makes a perfect Valentine's Day gift packed into a box lined with waxed paper.

　　You could also try adding pure lemon extract and a drop of yellow food colour in place of the rosewater and pink colouring.

　　Turkish delight

　　Makes 20 pieces.

　　375g caster sugar

　　juice of 1 lemon

　　25g gelatine powder

　　100g cornflour

　　25g icing sugar

　　2–3 teaspoons rosewater

　　pink food-colouring paste

　　50g shelled unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped

　　sunflower oil, for brushing the tin

　　Tip the sugar into a medium-sized pan and add the lemon juice and 300ml of water. Stir over a low heat to dissolve the sugar, then bring gently to the boil.

　　Mix the gelatine with 75g of the cornflour and 200ml water and add to the pan. Stir constantly until the gelatine has dissolved, then continue to simmer very gently for 20 minutes until thickened.

　　Mix together the remaining cornflour and the icing sugar. Lightly oil a 20cm square baking tin to a depth of 4–5cm and line it with clingfilm. Lightly dust the clingfilm with some of the cornflour mixture, tipping out the excess.

　　Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool. Add the rosewater, food colouring and pistachios and pour the mixture into the tin. Spread level and leave to cool for at least 4 hours or until completely set before cutting into squares and dusting with the rest of the icing sugar and cornflour mixture.

　　• Stored in an airtight container, these will keep for about a week.

　　在情人节到来之际，自制糖果和甜点，或者收到这样一份礼物都是一件令人开心的事。

　　我们总以为表面撒糖、有玫瑰花香的土耳其软糖应该作为圣诞礼物，但用蜡纸包进盒子里后，它也是一份精美的情人节贺礼。

　　你也可以尝试添加纯柠檬香精和一滴黄色食用色素，而不是玫瑰水和粉色色素。

　　土耳其软糖

　　做20份。

　　375克细白砂糖

　　柠檬汁，用量为一个柠檬

　　25克明胶粉

　　100克玉米粉

　　25克糖粉

　　2至3茶匙玫瑰水

　　粉色食用色素

　　50克去壳的无盐开心果，稍微切碎

　　葵花籽油，用来轻抹容器

　　把糖放进中等大小的平底锅，加入柠檬汁和300毫升水。低温将糖溶化，然后慢慢烧开。

　　将明胶粉与75克玉米粉混合，加入200毫升水，放入锅中。不停搅拌，直到明胶粉溶解。之后继续小火慢炖20分钟，直到变浓。

　　将剩余的玉米粉和糖粉掺在一起。在20平方厘米的烘烤听罐里轻抹一层油，深度大约4至5厘米，盘内衬一层保鲜膜。在保鲜膜上撒一层玉米粉和糖粉混合物，将多余的部分擦掉。

　　关火，放在一旁冷却。加入玫瑰水、食用色素和开心果，将混合物倒入烘烤听罐，平摊开，冷却至少4小时，或待完全凝固。之后切成块状，抹上剩余的糖粉和玉米粉。

　　•放入密封容器内，可保存大约一周时间。

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