Turron de Jijona (Spanish soft nougat)

When I lived in Spain, I think it’s fair to say you could not get through the festive season without having turron at least once. You could barely pass a store selling food without it being front and center in the window. Bars upon bars filled the shelves at Christmas-time and you definitely wouldn’t have a party without it. It’s something my parents bring back from Spain regularly and so I sometimes enjoy it if I am visiting. Since this week’s Sunday Supper is all about homemade food gifts, I knew it would make a great choice as something a little different from your more common cookie (especially since I’ve already shared cranberry gin which makes the best gift!).

What is turron?

Turron (or turrón as it is correctly spelt in Spanish) is Spanish nougat and comes in various forms. The two classics are turron de Alicante, which has whole nuts in a kind of honey candy. It’s hard and brittle and while tasty, I always worried I was about to break a tooth on it. The other main kind is turron de Jijona. This kind is soft, made with ground almonds and is a little like marzipan but to me at least, a lot tastier.

As with many Spanish dishes, turron is not difficult to make and does not have many ingredients. However, the quality of those ingredients is important. Ideally, you should use Marcona almonds and grind them yourself to ensure you get as much of the almond oil in the final product as possible. It might seem a bit weird being slightly oily, but really that’s kind of a good thing for this. I, however, do not have a grinder so instead used the best pre-ground almonds available. You also want to use a good honey as the flavor definitely comes through.

How it’s made

To make it, all you do is warm the honey with the sugar, add the cinnamon and a little lemon zest then whisk in the egg white. Mix in the ground almonds then press it into a lined dish. Cover the top and weigh it down, chilling in the fridge, overnight.

Turron is a classic Spanish sweet treat for the festive season that I think we should all adopt. The little bites of are full of delicious almond and honey flavor that is enjoyed by young and old alike. Easy to make and perfect for gifting. Or just dig in yourself. There’s no judgement here.

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Turron de Jijona (Spanish soft nougat)

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

10 mins

 

Turron is a classic sweet treat in Spain over the Holiday season. There are various versions, but this is one of the most common and both easy and delicious.

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Spanish

Servings: 16 approx or many more, depending on serving size - 2 bars

Calories: 177 kcal

Author: Caroline's Cooking

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup honey 200g
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar 8tbsp icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 lemon zest (approx 1/2 lemon or a little less)
• 1 egg white
• 3 cups ground almonds/almond flour 300g (ground at home if you can if not bought)

Instructions

1. Line 2 6x4in dishes with cling wrap/film.
2. Warm the honey over a medium-low heat in a skillet/frying pan. Whisk in the confectioners sugar and keep stirring until it is blended in. Continue to warm a couple minutes then add the cinnamon and lemon zest.
3. Mix the cinnamon and lemon in well then remove the pan from the heat and add the egg white. Whisk it in quickly to ensure it is well mixed. Don't worry that it initially get white streaks, but do mix it well or you will get chunks of egg white in there even after mixing which you don't really want.
4. Return to the heat, warm a minute then stir in the almonds. Mix through well then divide evenly between the two lined dishes. Press the mixture down well, getting it into the corners and flattening the top. Cover the top then weigh it down. Leave to chill and compress overnight in the fridge before removing by lifting up by the cling wrap/film. Cut into chunks to serve. Best kept refrigerated but it will keep well.

Nutrition Facts

Turron de Jijona (Spanish soft nougat)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 177 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 10g 15%

Sodium 3mg 0%

Potassium 10mg 0%

Total Carbohydrates 19g 6%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 16g

Protein 4g 8%

Vitamin C 0.4%

Calcium 4.6%

Iron 4.7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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