Chocolate Turrón

4.5 from 2 ratings

Turrón is very famous and very popular. There are so many different varieties too – hard, soft, with egg yolk, with coconut. But you can only really find it at Christmas, which is annoying as I love chocolate turróns so much. Just a little piece after a meal with my espresso makes me happy.Look, I had to do something about that situation, so I’ve created this recipe – no more waiting until Christmas. — José Pizarro, author of Catalonia

Servings

servings

Ingredients

5 ounce whole blanched almonds
2 ounce peeled pistachios
2 sheets wafer paper
7 ounce honey
7 oz / scant 1 cup superfine sugar
1 large free-range egg white
1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 170ºC (325ºF). Line a baking tray and roast the nuts until they are lightly golden brown. Check on them regularly as they catch really easily. Set aside to cool.
Line an 18 cm (7 in) square tin with a layer of wafer paper.
Put the honey and sugar in a pan over a low heat. Melt the sugar then bring to a rapid boil and cook until the mixture reaches 120ºC (250ºF) on a sugar thermometer.
Beat the egg white in a stand mixer until it holds soft peaks then, while whisking, gradually pour in the hot sugar and honey mixture.
When it is all incorporated, scoop this mixture back into the pan and put over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly. The aim is to reduce the moisture content of the nougat and, when the mixture reaches about 150–155ºC (300–310ºF) on a sugar thermometer, start testing it. Drop a little bit into a bowl of cold water – it should harden into a ball immediately.
When this happens, add the nuts and cocoa powder to the turrón. Mix well then pour into the lined tin and smooth with a palette knife. Top with a second layer of wafer paper and leave to set completely before slicing.
Recipes excerpted with permission from Catalonia: Recipes from Barcelona and Beyond by : José Pizarro (Hardie Grant Books, 2017)