Turkish delight

Method

1. 1 Heat the sugar with water and lemon juice until it reaches exactly 115 degrees, then keep it warm.
2. 2 Mix the tapioca starch with cold water to form a thin paste, then slowly pour it into the hot syrup.
3. 3 Stir continuously over low heat for 45 minutes until the mixture becomes translucent and sticky enough to stretch into strings.
4. 4 Forty-five minutes of stirring is the ideal time; stopping too early will result in a doughy consistency that isn't sticky.
5. 5 Mix rose water, beetroot juice, and pistachios, then pour the mixture into a baking tray lined with powdered sugar.
6. 6 Let it sit for 8 hours at room temperature, then cut it into squares with a sugar-coated knife.

With an appliance

• Microwave 48 min

  Replace steps 2–4: Add the flour paste to the syrup in a deep bowl, turn 600 W eight 2-minute cycles, stirring vigorously between cycles until the mixture is translucent and stretches; instead of 45 minutes of stirring, the cooking time is 16 minutes and the marshmallow will not burn at the bottom. The rose flavor and seeds from step 5 should only be added after the mixture has cooled slightly.