For those who haven’t experienced torrone before, you are in for a treat.Torrone is SUPER yummy and definitely one of the most traditional Christmas treats in Italy. It wouldn’t feel like Christmas, if we didn’t finish dinner cutting a big bar of torrone into small pieces so the whole family could enjoy it. When I was a kid, I regularly f
SOFT TORRONE: ITALIAN CHRISTMAS NOUGAT CANDY
Servings 12 - 15
Ingredients
- 200g sugar granulated
- 67g water
- 17g liquid glucose
- 133g mild honey
- 33g egg white (that's about 1 egg)
- 17g sugar
- 55g candied orange peel chopped finely
- 222g almonds peeled
- 90g hazelnuts peeled
- 40g pistachio peeled
- 2 to 3 sheets of edible wafer paper
Instructions
- Lightly oil the pan and line the bottom and the sides with wafer paper, previously trimmed to fit.
- Turn oven to 360°F (180°C). Place hazelnuts, almonds and pistachios on a baking tray and bake until toasted (about 15 minutes). Open the oven door to release a good amount of heat and then close it again (the toasted nuts need to be hot when they're added to the final mixture)
- Combine 200 g sugar with water and glucose in a small pot and place over heat, to make the syrup. (You'll eventually have to bring it to 291°F/144°C).
- In the meanwhile, pour honey into another small pot and place over stove, without turning the heat on.
- Using a stand mixer, start whipping egg whites, and then add 17 g of sugar. Leave the mixer on as you proceed to the next steps.
- When the syrup (sugar/water/glucose) has reached a temperature of 240°F (116°C), turn on the heat under the pot containing the honey. When the honey registers 255°F (124°C), pour it into the bowl containing the egg whites as the mixer is whipping.
- By the time you have poured the honey into the egg whites mixture, the syrup should have reached 291°F (144°C). Pour it immediately into the stand mixer bowl while it's whipping. When it's all blended, turn mixer off.
- [Execute the following steps very quickly as the torrone will harden fast]Take toasted nuts out the oven and add them into the mixing bowl while they're hot. Mix the mass using a wooden spoon for few seconds. Pour immediately into your pan lined with wafer paper. Using a spatula lightly greased with oil, distribute the mixture evenly across the pan. The ideal height of the torrone is about 1 inch. On top add another layer of wafer paper and use another tray to push down and ensure an even surface.
- Let cool completely. You could glaze with melted dark chocolate if you like. To serve, cut into small bars.
Notes
SOFT TORRONE: ITALIAN CHRISTMAS NOUGAT CANDY
Necessary equipment: digital scale, digital candy thermometer (even better if you have two), 8x8 inch deep baking dish or pan. If you don't have a stand mixer, have somebody help you.NOTES
Since a good amount of precision is needed for this recipe, I left all measurements in grams. If you have a digital scale you can easily switch from oz to grams.
Since you need to check the temperature of two different ingredients (which are both quite sticky), using 2 thermometers is ideal. I used one, but it's a bit of a pain cleaning it each time I switched pot.
Torrone keeps in an airtight container in a dry place at cool room temperature 2 weeks.
Since you need to check the temperature of two different ingredients (which are both quite sticky), using 2 thermometers is ideal. I used one, but it's a bit of a pain cleaning it each time I switched pot.
Torrone keeps in an airtight container in a dry place at cool room temperature 2 weeks.