Turrón (Spanish Nougat)
This recipe for traditional Spanish nougat is adapted from A Drizzle of Honey. I am not a candy maker and found that you need to be focused while preparing it or it will become an unmanageable sticky mess. I used aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) to replace the recipe’s egg whites, and yes, it really works. If you’re a novice candy maker like me, and your pan is covered with sticky sugar mixture afterwards, don’t panic—here’s how to clean it.
Ingredients
- A pinch of baking flour (or potato starch for gluten-free/Passover)
- 2 egg whites (or 4 tablespoons aquafaba)
- ¾ cup honey (to make it vegan, agave might work; I didn’t try it)
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup toasted nuts (almonds are traditional, but you can use a mix)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- A few drops almond extract (optional)
Preparation
- Assuming you don’t have a traditional turrón/nougat boxes, a small baking or loaf pan will suffice (or a cigar box as recommended in the cookbook). Line with parchment paper and dust with flour.
- Beat egg whites or aquafaba until stiff peaks form. Combine honey, egg whites/aquafaba and sugar in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat and bring to a boil. Once it begins to boil, stir constantly for about 10 minutes. The syrup is ready when a drop of the mixture dropped into cold water forms a ball.
- Cool slightly; then, fold in the nuts, cinnamon and optional almond extract. Scoop the mixture into the baking pan with an oil-coated spatula. Let cool. Once it has nearly hardened, dust with flour and cover with a piece of parchment paper. Slice before it fully hardens, or once cool and brittle, break into pieces.
Sarah Newman
