Italian torrone is a famous Italian nougat candy that is loved around the world. It is made with honey, egg whites, sugar and roasted dried fruit.
Following a careful procedure of whipping and heating the various ingredients, this recipe will show you how to create the classic white-colored nougat filled with almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios with a hint of lemon and vanilla and a slightly crunchy ostia wafer lining on the top and bottom.
The end result looks like the real Italian nougat candy you find in specialty shops or bakeries.
This delicious torrone is made slightly differently all over Italy, and can be softer or harder, have more or less ingredients depending on the place it is from. Once you have mastered the nougat making, you can get creative and add different dried nuts or candied fruits to personalize your torrone candy.
What equipment is needed to make torrone candy?
Equipment:
baking tray or dish 20 x 22 cm to put the torrone mixture into to form into a candy
several bowls to mix the various components
2 pots for heating the various parts during the nougat candy making
electric hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the egg whites
cooking thermometer to check the temperatures of the various liquid mixtures as you are cooking
Ingredients you’ll need to make Italian torrone
Acacia honey (0.44 lb | 200 grams) – be sure to buy very runny honey as it works best in this recipe, and acacia or another mild-flavored honey is what we like best so that the other flavors come out.
Egg whites (2) – only the freshest eggs should be used or the nougat can taste eggy.
Granulated sugar (0.44 lb | 200 grams + 10 grams) – we prefer granulated sugar over corn syrup in our recipe, which is for a more traditional torrone recipe.
Water (0.27 cups | 65 grams) – from the tap or bottled water will both work in this classic Italian nougat candy recipe.
Blanched almonds (0.31 lb | 140 grams) – whole, blanched toasted almonds are what make this recipe good for you and also delicious!
Blanched hazelnuts (0.31 lb | 140 grams) – if you cannot find hazelnuts where you are, you can substitute with walnuts or another of your favorite nuts.
Blanched pistachios (0.33 lb | 150 grams) – if you can’t find blanched pistachios, you can boil pistachios that still have their outer skin until it softens, then rub off the skins and toast as directed.
Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) – just a little bit of good quality vanilla extract will fill your kitchen with a heavenly aroma as you are making this homemade torrone candy.
Lemon zest (1/2) – make zest from the rind of half an organic lemon that has been washed well and dried. You can substitute with orange zest if you prefer the taste.
Bakery wafer paper sheets/edible rice paper – you will need to purchase enough wafer sheets to cover the bottom and top of the pan you choose to make the candy in.
How to make torrone step by step
Prep the roasted nuts: Preheat the oven to 350° F | 180° C. When it has reached the correct temperature, put all the nuts on a baking sheet and toast them for 5 minutes (photo 1), turning once, then set aside. You can turn off the oven as you will not be baking the torrone.
Make the white nougat candy filling: Put the egg whites and 10 grams of granulated sugar in a small bowl with high sides and whip them with an electric hand mixer until the egg whites form soft peaks, and set aside (photo 2).
Now put the honey in a pot on the stove over a very low flame (photo 3) and, stirring constantly, bring it to 265° F | 130° C, using a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature. In another pot, add the water and sugar over very low heat and bring it to 290° F | 145° C, stirring frequently and monitoring the temperature. As soon as the honey reaches 265° F | 130° C, turn off the heat and add it by a spoonful to the whipped egg whites, folding it together carefully so as not to deflate the egg whites (photo 4).
Put the mixture back into the pot where you cooked the honey. When the sugar syrup has reached 290° F | 145° C add it to the pot with the honey mixture (photo 5) and whip it together with the electric hand mixer with whisk attachment or whisk by hand, until the mixture thickens and turns a frothy white color (photo 6). It will take about 15 minutes whisking by hand.
Add the nuts to the Italian nougat and assemble and let cool. Add the toasted nuts, the lemon zest and the vanilla extract and stir to combine (photo 7). Put the pot back on the stove over low heat and stir for several minutes until the mixture hardens further and turn off the heat (photo 8).
Place a sheet of wafer paper at the bottom of a baking tray (photo 9). Spread the torrone mixture over the rice paper in the prepared baking dish in an even layer (photo 10).
Once evenly distributed, press another piece of wafer paper on top to cover (photo 11). Leave to cool at room temperature for 12 hours. To serve, remove from the pan and cut into bite-sized pieces or other slightly larger rectangles or small squares, as preferred (photo 12).
Expert tips and tricks
Correct sized rice paper or wafer paper. You will want to use large sheets of rice paper or wafer paper that are the exact same size as the pan you are using to make the torrone candy in, or you will want to cut them to size. Thicker rather than very think rice paper is preferable.
Stiff nougat mixture. Make sure the nougat mixture is stiff and not runny before you turn off the heat unless you want soft torrone. If the nougat candy part is too liquidy, it will ooze out the sides and not set up properly.
Variations of torrone to try
Soft torrone. You can make a softer torrone like the one they make in Sardinia by following these steps: First, put the honey and slightly beaten egg whites in a pan. Next, gently heat while stirring continuously with a wooden spoon for 45 minutes. Lastly, add the roasted nuts and stir continuously for another 30 minutes and then pour into a form and let it firm up slightly before serving. It can be done with or without wafer paper and be ready for gooeyness!
Almond flavors. If you love almond, you can add almond extract instead of vanilla extract and use all almonds to make your torrone and skip the other nuts all together!
Try other Christmas recipes:
FAQs
How to store homemade torrone
Store the torrone in an airtight container, closed plastic bag or plastic wrap for up to one month in a cool, dry place.
What is an ostia?
Ostia is the thin wafer that goes on the top and bottom of the torrone so that it isn’t a sticky, gooey mess. In Italy, it is usually made from potato starch, water and vegetable oil. In other parts of the world it is made with rice and can be found under the name rice paper.
What is torrone?
Torrone is a sweet confection usually made from combining beaten eggs whites, honey, nuts and vanilla and then enclosing in a wafer paper on the top and bottom. This Italian candy is often made commercially and the most famous of the industrial Italian torrone sweets come from the cities of Siena, Benevento, Cremon and Alba and they are all made slightly differently.
