Lucy: Sorry I didn't make it yet. Have a lot of problems and been busy, busy, busy and running.
The Torrone that you buy isn't crisp. It is soft but firm.
But the nuts are crunchy.
I think it is supposed to be a Nougat.
Send me some and I'll sacrifice myself again , to test it!
LOU

lucy, which recipe did you use?

maryanne

There are two kinds of torrone, hard torrone and soft torrone.

How about humidity and/or barometric pressure as a factor? It certainly affects the confections I make here.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Torrone Types with Two Recipes

Sounds wonderful! I don't think I've ever tasted Torrone before.

I found a few pictures and it looks delish!

Michelle

In Spain it's called TURRON and it's been here for over a thousand years, originally introduced by the Arabs, and it's made here as a Christmas treat. At that time the shops are full....tables are set out laden with all the many different types of Spanish turrones. I've been buying (not making) turron for the last 39 years and also sending it at times overseas to Canada for my daughters who grew up partially in Spain. Two of the most know are the hard nougat from Alicante, and the soft turron from Jijona....my favourite.

{{!gwi}}
Hard Nougat Turron from Alicante

{{!gwi}}
Soft Jijona Turron

Apart from that there are also many other types of turron, some with chocolate. Here is some more info and recipes.
I hope you find one that turns out well for you.

Different types of turron can be seen here.

SharonCb

Here is a link that might be useful: Spanish Turron Recipes

Michelle, thanks for posting the photo's, one day I have to learn how to do that. It's the 1st photo, the white one is what was hoping for & most accustom to.

The recipe I used w/combining the honey & sugar & cook for 1 hr. & temps were correct. What I'm thinking but will need to test, is cook the honey & sugar separately, bring the honey to a lower temp but bring the sugar to hard crack stage. Then have the honey ready together at the same time w/the sugar syrup, incorporate the honey 1st, then immediately follow w/the sugar syrup. I think that might work & give me the result I'm aiming for.

Because mine ended up so soft originally, you would have had to eat w/a spoon. I proceeded to cooked up a batch of sugar syrup, brought to the crack stage and remixed w/the nougat, doing that saved the day and surprisingly it isn't overly sweet for some reason. It's firmer now, but not as it should be.

Lou email me your address, I'll send you some, seriously... my brother stopped last evening, he sampled it & loved it. So all is not lost, but will try again...

Lucy

Carol & Sharon, thank you for the additional information.

Lucy

Oh Michelle, I saw those up on flickr and thought omigod...she's made those puppies!

Sharon, being introduced by the Arabs, I'd say the soft nougat is a cousin of the halwah sold round the MidEast. Is it available year round or just at the winter holidays? (I haven't looked at your links yet so my answer may be there.)

sharon, a few little colorful boxes decoated with women wearing italian folk costumes were always in our christmas stockings, on cookie trays and tucked into a fruit platter. it wasn't a holiday without them.

when i was in italy, i purchased it in any region that sold it and every possible flavor. now, it's so easy to get here in a really good italian market.

lucy, the next time it's that soft, serve it in a dish with a decent chocolate sauce - there's a semifreddo torrone they serve in verona that way.

maryanne

Yes Maureen, I've read that it was brought by the Arabs during their occupation of southern Spain and is similar to halva or halvah and the typical Arab ingredients of honey and almonds. I had a link but now I can't find it LOL.

SharonCb

Maryanne: When you bring the Peppers, bring some Torrone too. You must have had a hard time planning for Italy.
You can't even make it to the Pocono's.

Sharon: They lied, It is an Italian thing.

Michele: I like the first picture with a little less nuts.

Lucy : Did I give you a recipe ?
LOU

FYI, I spoke to my cousin in Italy earlier today, and after a great conversation; I told him what happened w/my torrone, he promised me he would send me "The Family Secret Torrone Recipe" . Little did I know the torrone I was munching on while at his house, was their own. I just didn't know! & it's exactly what I was trying to achieve.

Luckily, my neighbor across the street reads Italian, so he'll translate for me. YIPPIE!!

Lucy

Lou, the first picture is Pistachio Torrone and I found it on the Martha Stewart site. This is the one that I think I might like to try.

Pistachio Honey Torrone

Makes one 9-by-13-inch sheet
Edible wafer paper, enough for 2 layers in pan
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 large egg whites
1 cup honey
3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 cups shelled raw pistachios

Piece together wafer paper, without overlapping, to fit bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, and set aside.

Liberally sprinkle a clean surface with cornstarch. Pour egg whites into bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine honey and granulated sugar. Place over medium heat; cook until mixture just begins to simmer, about 4 minutes. Clip a candy thermometer onto the side of saucepan; continue to heat, stirring occasionally.
Beat whites until stiff peaks form; add confectioners' sugar, and beat until combined. When thermometer registers 315 degrees, remove honey mixture from heat. Temperature will rise to 320 degrees.

Stir until temperature drops to 300 degrees, 1 to 2 minutes. With mixer running, slowly pour honey mixture into egg-white mixture (at this point, whites will double in volume; let stand a few seconds; volume will return to normal). Beat until mixture thickens and begins to stick to beaters; fold in the nuts.

Pour mixture onto cornstarch-covered surface; knead about 5 turns. Stretch and roll to fit pan; place mixture in pan. Cover with another layer of wafer paper; let cool on wire rack. Cut into slices while still warm; store in airtight container, with parchment between layers, for up to 2 weeks.

The 2nd picture I found on the Best of Sicily Magazine site and I will link it below. It has some good info, including tip and a bit of history too.

Oh Michelle, I saw those up on flickr and thought omigod...she's made those puppies!

LOL!!! I'm not much of a candy maker although I'd like to try some easy recipes. I've a mouth full of caps and anything sticky is a real problem!

Michelle

Here is a link that might be useful: Best of Sicily Magazine

Maureen...
One can buy turron year round here but it is more prevalent around the Christmas season, which continues here until January 6th at which time the shops are full with great stacks of boxes of every sort of turron imaginable. It's customary to offer friends a glass of sherry or sweet wine with pieces of turron when they come to visit during the holiday season. I always put a box or two in the gift baskets I make up for our cleaning lady and gardener every year, along with wine and cakes. (Similar to this one...but without the Scotch lol.)

SharonCb

Halvah is made from sesame and honey and is grainy not at all like nougat candy. Sometimes it is marbled with chocolate. When I was a child I was the only one of the kids who could tolerate the texture. It is a little like eating a sticky, sweet block of moist sand, definitely an acquired (and adult) taste, but I have always loved it. (Some kids will do anything for a bit of sweetness!) There is a good description on Foodmaven (Arthur Schwartz?)and a recipe that calls for sesame oil, flour and honey. I do also love Torrone. I think there is also a Greek version.

Lucy,

A family secret torrone recipe! How lucky are you? But I'm sorry that your trial run turned out soft (not at all sorry about the delicious part).

Torrone always put in an appearance at Christmas time at our house as well but it was always the small boxes of Ferrara brand (the boxes are still the same size now but the pieces inside are smaller). Once I got older & started poking around the Italian stores on my own I realized that there was a whole world of torrone outside of the blue Ferrara box.

Mimsic- excellent, accurate description of the texture of halvah! I loved it when I was little but can't even look at the stuff now.

Maryanne, now I can't wait for you to test drive the family secret! If your neighbor can't translate the recipe I'm sure that my mom can (but will you have to then swear your neighbor to secrecy?)

Nina

Mimsic it's the Jijona turron which is soft like halvah.

That's the one in the second photo I posted above which is a sort of peanut butter colour and has that grainy texture. I love it.

The white nougat one with pieces of almond is the Alicante turron. That one is a little harder on the teeth lol!

SharonCb