Oregon Delight (or Americanized Turkish Delight)

After reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, my children and I had wondered what Turkish Delight was. Several years ago, while searching for Christmas cookie and candy recipes, I came across a recipe for Oregon Delight in my Joy of Cooking cookbook. The description says:

"These are similar to the famous confections known as Aplets and Cotlets - a West Coast version of Turkish Delight. For a more Middle Eastern flavor, substitute unsweetened pomegranate juice for the apple or apricot juice and add a teaspoon of rose water. Almonds, pistachios, or macadamia nuts would also be nice in place of the walnuts."

I realized that I had eaten it before, at least the Americanized version of Aplets and Cotlets, and loved it. It was promptly added to my Christmas cookie and candy making list. They will make a great treat for our unit study or the day we take the boys to see the new Narnia movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.


*You need to make this, at least, the day or night before you want to eat it. It has to sit for 12 hours or overnight.


Oregon Delight (makes 64 1-inch squares)
3 c apple or unsweetened apricot juice, divided
4 envelope (3 Tbl) unflavored gelatin
1/4 c plus 2 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
1 1/3 c sugar
1 c chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 c cornstarch, for coating

Place 1/2 c apple juice in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over; set aside to allow gelatin to soften.
In another small bowl, whisk together cornstarch, lemon and lime juices.
In a large heavy saucepan, combine 2 1/2 c apple juice and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring with a long-handled wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar, then cook for 15 minutes to reduce and concentrate the juice.

Remove from heat, add the gelatin mixture, and stir until the gelatin has completely dissolved. Return to the heat, add the cornstarch mixture, and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. The mixture will be very thick.

Stir in walnuts. Remove from heat. Rinse an 8-inch square baking dish with cold water, and shake to remove the excess water. Pour in the juice/gelatin mixture, and let the jelly harden for at least 12 hours, or overnight.

Use a lightly oiled knife to cut the jelly into 1-inch squares. Remove from the pan with a small offset spatula. Toss the squares in the 1/2 c cornstarch, coating them completely. Place in fluted candy cups or mini cupcake liners. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week or up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.