Chewy Italian Torrone Candy With Honey and Toasted Nuts

Torrone is the holiday nougat of honey and toasted nuts, the kind that sticks to your teeth in a good way. I toast the nuts first so their flavor comes through the sweetness.

The Italian Torrone Candy Recipe is straightforward, and while it requires some patience, the result is a delicious, chewy candy that is well worth the effort.

Delicious Homemade Torrone Candy

This Torrone features a combination of almond and hazelnut, combined with a rich honey-sugar mixture, resulting in a chewy and aromatic candy. The recipe takes about 1 hour from start to finish and yields 12 pieces.

Ingredients

2 cups toasted almonds (or mixed nuts)
1 cup toasted hazelnuts
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup water
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

Prepare the Baking Pan: Line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal later. Dust the bottom with powdered sugar.
Cook Sugar and Honey: In a saucepan, combine sugar, honey, and water. Over medium heat, stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil without stirring and cook until it reaches soft ball stage (about 240°F or 115°C).
Whip Egg Whites: While the sugar mixture is cooking, beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form.

Combine Mixtures: Once the sugar mixture reaches the right temperature, slowly pour it into the whipped egg whites while continuing to beat. Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined and thick.
Fold in Nuts: Gently fold in the toasted almonds and hazelnuts into the mixture until evenly distributed.
Transfer to Pan: Pour the candy mixture into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Press down firmly to compact.

Cool and Cut: Allow the Torrone to cool completely at room temperature (about 4 hours). Once cooled, lift it out of the pan using the parchment paper and cut into squares or rectangles.
Serve: Dust with additional powdered sugar to prevent sticking, and store in an airtight container.