This week our theme is The Chronicles of Narnia. My first book report ever was on The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. This was back when I was 6, and I’m pretty sure I didn’t understand the significance of all the symbolism at the time. Then, when the most recent film came out several years ago, everything became clear and I finally was able to appreciate this timeless collection of stories.
“It is dull, Son of Adam, to drink without eating,” said the Queen presently. “What would you like best to eat?” “Turkish Delight, please, Your Majesty,” said Edmund.” The Queen let another drop fall from her bottle onto the snow, and instantly there appeared a round box, tied with green silk ribbon, which, when opened, turned out to contain several pounds of the best Turkish Delight. Each piece was sweet and light to the very center and Edmund had never tasted anything more delicious.” – C.S. Lewis, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Chapter 4, pages 36-37.
I wonder what I would have said if faced with a situation like Edmund’s. What would I like BEST to eat? I think it would very much depend on the weather and my mood, but to simplify things, let’s say it’s winter and I’ve been walking through a snowy forrest in my bathrobe and slippers. Maybe a warm gooey chocolate lava cake . . . or a bubbling fruit crisp . . . or maybe the fluffiest lightest most delicious hot, chocolate-filled donut (malasada please!). Also, can you imagine having the power to make any food you want appear with a single drop? It’s a good think I enjoy cooking.
Turkish Delight – what is it? It is a chewy, firm gel-like dessert that is traditionally flavored with rose water and rolled in powdered sugar. I’ve tried pistachio and coconut rolled Turkish delight in the past. Unfortunately, I was not the biggest fan of Edward’s first choice. I wonder though, maybe the version I had just wasn’t that great. I mean, the Turkish Delight in the film seems so soft and chewy in a pillowy way, which was totally different from my experience with it. I will probably give it a try again in the future, as I believe in second chances, especially when I find a food I don’t particularly enjoy, as this is quite a rare occurrence.
As I was neither especially keen on having loads of a dessert I’m not particularly fond of laying around my house or on working with a candy thermometer for the first time on a recipe I was not particularly invested in, I decided to make a dessert inspired by Turkish Delight, with the main cross-over ingredient being powdered sugar.
I made “snowball” cookies, which are crumbly and seem a bit dry at first, but then they just melt in your mouth. I decide to add in some strawberry jam to give a similar effect as Edmund’s Turkish Delight.
I even found a perfect tin and green ribbon.
I had never made these cookies before, but they really are wonderful. At first it seems like they might be too sweet, and granted there is a lot of powdered sugar, but then you get the nuttiness of the pecans mixed in which gives the cookie overall a much richer taste. The jam I thought was a nice touch, something to contrast the buttery cookie flavor.
The key with these cookies is to roll them in powdered sugar when they are still hot just out of the oven, let them cool, and then roll them in powdered sugar again.
Well, what can I say . . . this is what happens to cookies that crumble when rolled – they get eaten first!!!
Definitely delicious. A great holiday cookie, I’d say. I will likely be making these again, potentially with raspberry jam or maybe even Nutella.
Check out the recipe at Cooking Classy.