So many names for the very typical Mediterranean treat which you can find I think nearly everywhere today at Christmas time. It is sweet, gooey, hard or soft, full of healthy nuts and unhealthy sugar. Once they were made with much healthier honey.
Torrone we call it in Italy, Turròn it is called in Spain, Türkischer Honig in Germany, in English it becomes Nougat. The sugar makes the harder version, I believe, made only with honey it is soft and super sticky but oh so good!
The name of this specialty comes from Turròn, a Spanish town. But could be also from the Roman Latin for ‘to toast’ (the nuts are toasted to get more flavor): torrere. I read also the Ancient name ‘cupeta’ which is still used in some regions in Italy, and ‘giuggiulena’ in Sardegna. But the German name explains well where the origins are: in the Arabic cuisine. When Spain and Italy got under Moorish dominion of course they didn’t integrate only the beautiful architecture but took over also the cuisine. There are many recipes in these countries that have their origin in the Moorish cuisine. And one of this is the Torrone.
It is made with honey and/or sugar, egg white and almonds or any other kind of nuts like hazelnut, walnuts or pistachios. I never tasted one with walnuts, though. I saw it always in block form or as strips, but it is made also in a round shape. It is a very famous Christmas treat in Southern America, too. In Italy Cremona (near to Milan) and Benevento (near to Naples) are most famous for it. There is also the Croccante alle Mandorle (almond brittle) which often is referred as Torrone.
In the 12th century Gherardo Cremonese translated a book called ‘De Medicinis E Cibis Semplicibus’, written by Abdul Mutarrif, a doctor from Cordova. He already mentioned a treat called ‘turun’. In 1441 it was part of the wedding dinner of Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti and was said since then it was a treat from Cremona.
The recipe I got on the Internet. It is everywhere the same. I saw various videos on YouTube as well, just to be sure I understand how to do it. The procedure is a little demanding and not my normally easy mix-all-in-a-bowl-way. But the result is really great and as you prepare something special like Torrone only once a year, it is worth it.
The almond brittle is much easier to make. It has just toasted almonds, half honey and half coconut sugar (which adds an already caramelized taste) and lemon.
For the preparation of both the torrone types it is very important to work with a thermometer, later with more experience there is no need anymore. I noticed something during the procedure: as it has to come to temperature it doesn’t look like burning in the pot but then later when it cooled out it looked burned on the bottom. I didn’t taste it, though.
I put both the recipes, so you can decide which one you like more.
Have fun!
- 400 g raw honey
- 200 g nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, ...)
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tsp bourbon vanilla bean paste
- host (15 x 25)
- Pour the honey in a middle seize pot and put it on the stove to melt the honey. take off the stove when the honey is liquid and set aside in order to cool the honey.
- Meanwhile beat the egg white until stiff.
- Add the egg white to the now tepid honey and continue to beat the honey egg mixture trying to get it as stiff as possible.
- Now put the pot in the stove, low heat. When the mixture starts to separate from the pot, it is ready. Take off the stove and add the nuts and mix.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and fill the mixture in. It should be two fingers high. Lay the host on the top.
- Let it cool at room temperature and then transfer the tray into the freezer.
- Cut into pieces before you serve.
You can use any kind of nuts/dry fruit you like. I used almonds and pistachios.
If you don't like host that is gluten-free or you don't want to make it by your own, skip the host and cover with chocolate on the top, if you like.
Put some parchment paper between the single pieces, because they are a little sticky.
- 300 g whole almonds
- 100 g raw honey
- 150 g coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and put the almonds on a parchment paper on a baking tray. Let toast the almonds for around 5 minutes, don't burn them, Switch off the oven, take the almonds out and let them cool.
- Meanwhile add the sugar, the honey and the lemon in a pot, Put on the stove and let the compost melt. Stir from time to time.
- Take a cooking thermometer and let the honey-sugar mixture reach the temperature of 135°C/275°F. Don't forget to stir from time to time. The mixture starts to boil.
- Add the almonds, stir well that all is combined well. The temperature goes down and has to reach again high at 170°C/340°F.
- Take of the stove and transfer the brittle on the same parchment paper on the baking tray where the almonds were before. Level all down to one or two almonds high and let it cool.
- If you want to cut it in pieces do this when it is still warm. Otherwise wait that is is completely cool and break into pieces.
The cooking procedure is a little tricky. You want to mix it so nothing burns but that takes away also the temperature. At a certain point the temperature rises then very quick.
You can also cut half of the almonds in order to have a mixture between whole and cut almonds.
You could also use hazelnuts or even pistachios instead of the almonds. I don't know how it would be with walnuts. I guess they are too soft.
