Ingredients
For filling:
3 egg whites, beaten stiff
12 ounces sugar
500 grams "white" [creamed] honey, liquefied
1 kilo almonds, lightly roasted
For covering:
2 large-sized host sheets
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Original Italian text
3 bianchi di uovo
12 onz. zucchero
500 gr miele Bianco
1 kg. mandorle
2 foglie ostie
Bastolire le mandorle non troppo. Sogliere il mieli lentomente. Frulare i bianchi poi metere il zucchero e il miele che sio rafredato e lavorare per 1/4 d'ora, poi fare boliere per 1 ora lentamente, poi unire le mandorle tutto asieme, metere nel tegrime, quando e freddo meterlo nel frigider.
Directions
Roast the almonds a little, not too much.
Warm up the (creamed & pure) "white" honey (The honey should turn to liquid). Cool (use at room temperature).
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
Slowly add the sugar and the (liquefied) honey to the beaten egg whites, mixing it for about 1/4 of an hour.
Place the mixture in a pan, and heat it up until it boils; cook over very low heat for about an hour, stirring it constantly so that no lumps appear as it hardens.
Add the lightly roasted almonds, and mix very well, so that the almonds are nicely incorporated into the nougat mixture.
Spread out the nougat mixture evenly on a host sheet; place a matching host sheet over it.
When the mixture has cooled, put it in the fridge. Cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Place a weight (e.g. a heavy wooden cutting board) on it (to ensure the hosts stick to the nougat, and the mixture is evenly distributed).
When ready to serve, cut the torrone into pieces.
Notes
Mrs. Anna-Maria Benvenuto has collected hundreds of recipes from relatives, friends and neighbors over the years. She recorded the recipes in Italian in numerous notebooks, often naming the recipe after the person who gave it to her (The recipe in this entry was provided to her by the wife of her friend, Plimio.). Being an avid baker Mrs. Benvenuto tried out many of the recipes herself. Because of her talent and expertise, she did not feel the need to write detailed instructions as she knew how to make the recipes without them. However, when asked by this website's archivist (Mary Melfi) for details, she quickly volunteered the information. Nonetheless, as with most first generation Italian-Canadian handwritten recipes, it is understood that whoever attempts to duplicate them should have some knowledge of what they are doing (Easier said than done).... While Mrs. Benvenuto was born in the Veneto region (in 1938) and has a natural fondness for recipes that come from this area, she found that as soon as she immigrated to Montreal, Quebec in 1952 she developed an instant appreciation for all foods from her homeland.... Photo and English translation of original Italian text: Mary Melfi. |
