Vegan White Almond Nougat with Candied Orange, Reinterpreted | Torrone Bianco Vegano alle Mandorle e Arancia Rivisitato
Torrone bianco, the white nougat of the Italian Christmas, is traditionally a confection of whipped egg whites and cooked sugar syrups, dried slowly over heat and packed with toasted nuts between two sheets of wafer paper. The classic is made with beaten egg whites and honey; this recipe is a vegan reinterpretation of it, not the traditional confection. It follows the same method step by step but builds the foam on aquafaba, the cooking liquid of chickpeas, and replaces the sweetness of honey with brown rice syrup, which cooks to a clean, mild sweetness and leaves the taste of the almonds in front. Candied orange peel and fresh orange zest give it the perfume of the southern Italian nougats. The result is a white, fragrant bar with a short, crisp bite, a little softer at the center than a hard torrone of Cremona, and just as good sliced thin with a sweet wine at the end of a holiday meal.
Yield: about 2 lb (900 g), 32 pieces, 16 servings. Prep: 30 minutes. Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes. Rest: 6 hours. Course: dolce. Region: Italian Christmas tradition.
The Story
Nougats of nuts and sweet syrups were known across the Mediterranean in the Middle Ages, and many historians connect the Italian torrone with the Arab confectionery that reached Sicily and Spain. In Italy, the white torrone took its classic form in the north and in the south at the same time, and several cities still claim it. Cremona, in Lombardy, holds a torrone festival every autumn and is the city most associated with the hard white nougat. A famous legend says that torrone was created in Cremona for the wedding of Bianca Maria Visconti and Francesco Sforza in 1441, shaped like the city's bell tower, the Torrazzo. It is a beautiful story, but it is a legend, and food historians have found no document to support it.
In the south, torrone has its own long tradition. Benevento, in Campania, is known for its nougats with almonds and hazelnuts, and Bagnara Calabra, on the coast of Calabria, makes a nougat protected as Torrone di Bagnara IGP. In Sardinia, the village of Tonara is famous for a soft torrone whose only sweetener is the floral sweetness of honey from the surrounding mountains, with no sugar added. Each city defends its own proportions and its own nuts, but the method is the same everywhere: a foam, a hot syrup, a long drying and the nuts folded in at the end.
The classic recipe is not vegan. Its foam is made of egg whites beaten stiff, and its first syrup is made of honey, which gives traditional torrone its color and its floral scent. This reinterpretation replaces the egg whites with reduced aquafaba, which contains enough proteins and starches to hold a stiff foam and to survive hot syrup. In place of the honey it uses brown rice syrup, a thick syrup made from rice that behaves like a glucose syrup at high temperatures and keeps the nougat white. The almonds, the wafer paper and the long, patient drying over a water bath remain exactly as in the Italian tradition.
Torrone belongs to the Italian Christmas as much as panettone. It is sold in bars and in long boxes in every pastry shop from November, cut into thin slices at the end of the holiday meals and offered to guests with coffee or a sweet wine. This recipe brings that tradition to a vegan table without changing its spirit: a few ingredients, exact temperatures and a confection that keeps for weeks. The precision lies in the two syrups and in the drying test.
Ingredients
Use whole blanched almonds of good quality, ideally Italian almonds from Sicily or Apulia, which have a sweeter, more aromatic flavor. Buy candied orange peel in large pieces from a good pastry supplier and dice it yourself: the small, ready diced cubes are often dry and taste of syrup more than of orange. Wafer paper, called ostia in Italian, is usually made of potato starch, water and vegetable oil; read the label to be sure it contains no animal ingredients. Brown rice syrup and glucose syrup are sold in natural food stores and pastry shops.
For the foam
Aquafaba, chickpea cooking liquid, 1 cup (240 ml), reduced to 1/2 cup (120 ml)
Cream of tartar, 1/2 tsp (2 g)
Fine sea salt, 1 pinch
For the two syrups
Brown rice syrup, 1/2 cup (160 g)
Granulated sugar, 1 1/2 cups (300 g)
Glucose syrup, 1/4 cup (80 g)
Water, 1/3 cup (80 ml)
For the nuts and flavorings
Whole blanched almonds, 2 1/2 cups (360 g)
Candied orange peel, diced into 1/4 inch (6 mm) cubes, 1/2 cup (80 g)
Orange zest, finely grated, from 1 organic orange
Pure vanilla extract, 1 tsp (5 ml)
Wafer paper sheets, 2 sheets about 8 x 8 inches (20 x 20 cm)
Neutral oil, for the knife and the pan, 1 tsp (5 ml)
Preparation
Step 1
Reduce and chill the aquafaba. Simmer the aquafaba in a small saucepan over medium low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until it has reduced from 1 cup (240 ml) to 1/2 cup (120 ml). Pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer and chill it for at least 30 minutes. Reduction concentrates the proteins and starches dissolved from the chickpeas, and this foam has to carry almost 1 1/4 lb (540 g) of syrup and nuts. Unreduced aquafaba whips, but it does not stay stiff once the hot syrup goes in.
Step 2
Toast the almonds and prepare the pan. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast them for 12 to 15 minutes, until pale gold inside when you cut one in half. Lower the oven to 200°F (95°C) and keep the almonds in it until needed: warm nuts mix into the hot nougat without making it set too early. Line an 8 inch (20 cm) square pan with parchment paper, brush the paper with a little oil and lay one sheet of wafer paper on the bottom, smooth side down.
Step 3
Cook the first syrup. Put the brown rice syrup in a small, heavy saucepan and heat it over medium heat with a candy thermometer clipped to the side. Bring it to 257°F (125°C), stirring gently once or twice. While it heats, whip the cold aquafaba with the cream of tartar and the salt at medium high speed until it holds firm peaks, about 6 to 8 minutes. When the syrup reaches temperature, lower the mixer to medium and pour the syrup in a thin stream down the side of the bowl. Whip at high speed for 3 minutes. The foam will lose a little volume and turn glossy and pale beige.
Step 4
Cook the second syrup. In a clean heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, glucose syrup and water. Stir to wet the sugar, then cook over medium high heat without stirring, brushing down the sides with a wet pastry brush. Take it to 305°F (152°C), the hard crack stage, when the bubbles become small and slow. Keep the mixer running at medium speed during this time. Pour the second syrup into the foam in a thin, steady stream down the side of the bowl, then whip at high speed for 5 minutes. The glucose syrup prevents the sugar from crystallizing, so the nougat stays smooth instead of grainy.
Step 5
Dry the nougat over a water bath. Transfer the mixture to a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, without the bowl touching the water. Stir it constantly with a sturdy silicone spatula, folding it from the edges to the center, for 30 to 40 minutes. The nougat becomes thicker, stiffer and paler, and the spatula starts to leave clean tracks on the bottom. Every few minutes drop a small piece into a glass of ice water: it is ready when it hardens in seconds and snaps cleanly between your fingers. This drying removes water and is what gives torrone its bite.
Step 6
Fold in the nuts and flavorings. Take the bowl off the heat. Add the vanilla and the orange zest and stir well, then add the warm almonds and the candied orange peel and fold them in quickly with the spatula, until they are evenly coated. Work fast: the nougat starts to set as soon as it leaves the water bath. If it becomes too stiff to stir, return the bowl to the water bath for 1 minute.
Step 7
Press and set. Scrape the nougat into the prepared pan and spread it with an oiled spatula into an even layer. Lay the second sheet of wafer paper on top, smooth side up, and press firmly with the flat bottom of a glass or a small pan, so the nougat fills the corners and the surface is level. Leave it to cool and set at room temperature, uncovered, for at least 6 hours or overnight. Lift it out with the parchment and cut it with a large, lightly oiled knife, pressing straight down in one firm motion, into bars about 1 x 2 inches (2.5 x 5 cm).
Plating
Serve the torrone at room temperature, never cold from the refrigerator, on a dry wooden board or a flat plate. Cut it just before serving into slices about 1/3 inch (8 mm) thick, so the cut faces show the white nougat and the cross sections of almonds and orange.
Arrange three or four slices for each guest, slightly overlapping, with a few thin strips of candied orange peel on the side. Torrone is eaten with the fingers, slowly, at the end of the meal, alongside coffee or a small glass of sweet wine.
Professional Technique
The key ratio is nuts to nougat. Classic white torrone contains roughly equal weights of nuts and of the syrup and foam that bind them; this recipe uses 360 g of almonds and 80 g of candied peel for about 560 g of syrups. Fewer nuts give a soft bar that bends; more nuts give a bar that crumbles because there is not enough nougat to hold them.
The hidden variable is water. Every gram of water left in the nougat makes it softer and stickier, and aquafaba brings more water than egg whites do. That is why the second syrup is taken to the hard crack stage and why the drying over the water bath cannot be shortened. On a humid day the nougat needs up to 10 minutes longer, and it should be stored airtight as soon as it has set.
The doneness test is the cold water test. A piece of nougat dropped into ice water must harden at once and snap when bent. If it bends without breaking, keep drying it over the water bath. The thermometer guides the syrups; only the water test tells you when the whole mass is ready.
Sugar and Moisture Control
Torrone is a lesson in sugar stages. The first syrup, cooked to 257°F (125°C), is soft enough to blend into the foam and give it body. The second, cooked to 305°F (152°C), contains almost no water and sets the structure. Adding both at once would deflate the foam; adding them in two stages lets the foam adapt to each one.
Crystallization is the main risk. Sugar wants to return to crystals when it is stirred or when undissolved grains fall into it. Glucose syrup and brown rice syrup contain sugars of different sizes that get in the way of the crystals, which is why they are essential here. Brushing the sides of the pan with water during cooking removes stray crystals before they can spread.
Moisture from the air is the last enemy. Torrone is hygroscopic: it absorbs humidity and becomes sticky on the surface. The wafer paper protects the top and bottom, and the cut sides should be wrapped in parchment or cellophane as soon as the bars are cut.
Professional Mise en Place
Torrone moves quickly once the syrups start, so everything must be weighed, lined and warm before you light the stove. Read the whole method before beginning and keep the ice water and the thermometer at hand.
Equipment and tools
Stand mixer with whisk attachment
Two small heavy saucepans, candy thermometer, pastry brush
Large heatproof bowl and a pan for the water bath, sturdy silicone spatula
8 inch (20 cm) square pan, parchment paper, large chef's knife
Prepared ahead
Aquafaba reduced and chilled, up to 2 days ahead
Almonds toasted and kept warm in a low oven
Candied orange peel diced, orange zest grated
Pan lined with oiled parchment and the first sheet of wafer paper
Service setup
Torrone cut into bars and wrapped in parchment or cellophane
Wooden board and a sharp knife for slicing at the table
Strips of candied orange peel for the side
Chef Tips
Warm the stand mixer bowl slightly before adding the hot syrups by wrapping it for a minute in a towel soaked in hot water and wrung out. A cold metal bowl cools the syrup at the edges and can make it set in threads before it is mixed in.
Oil the spatula and your hands lightly when spreading and pressing the nougat. Torrone is extremely sticky while warm, and a thin film of neutral oil prevents it from pulling away from the wafer paper.
Change the nuts with the season and the region: half almonds and half hazelnuts gives a nougat closer to those of Piedmont and Campania, and a handful of pistachios added with the almonds gives green points of color. Keep the total weight of nuts the same.
For clean slices, warm the knife blade in hot water, dry it and oil it lightly before every cut. A warm blade melts through the sugar instead of cracking it.
Common Mistakes
Using unreduced aquafaba. The foam is too weak to carry the syrups and collapses. Reduce it by half and chill it before whipping.
Undercooking the second syrup. Syrup below the hard crack stage leaves too much water, and the torrone stays soft and sticky. Take it to 305°F (152°C).
Stirring the syrup while it boils. Stirring starts crystallization and the nougat becomes grainy. Stir only to wet the sugar, then leave it.
Shortening the drying. A torrone that has not been dried over the water bath bends instead of snapping. Dry it until the cold water test is clean.
Adding cold nuts. Cold almonds make the nougat set around them before they are mixed in. Keep them warm in a low oven.
Cutting too soon. A warm torrone tears and loses its shape. Let it set for at least 6 hours.
Storing it uncovered. Torrone absorbs moisture and turns sticky. Wrap it as soon as it is cut.
Wine Pairing
Moscato di Scanzo DOCG: A rare sweet red from the hills near Bergamo, in the same Lombardy as Cremona's torrone, with aromas of rose, dried cherry and spice. Its red fruit and gentle tannin give a lively contrast to the sweet white nougat and the almonds. Serve it at about 57°F (14°C).
Recioto di Soave DOCG: A sweet white from dried Garganega grapes in the hills east of Verona, with notes of almond, dried apricot and candied citrus. Its almond character mirrors the nuts, and its acidity keeps the pairing fresh. Serve it at about 54°F (12°C).
Passito di Pantelleria DOC: The sweet wine of the island of Pantelleria, made from dried Zibibbo grapes, with apricot, candied orange and dates. Its candied citrus aromas echo the orange peel, and its sweetness stands up to the nougat. Serve it at about 54°F (12°C).
Malvasia delle Lipari DOC: From the Aeolian Islands off Sicily, a sweet wine of dried Malvasia grapes with notes of apricot, orange blossom and almond. Its floral perfume brings back the scent that floral sweeteners give a traditional torrone. Serve it at about 54°F (12°C).
Storage & Reheating
Room temperature: wrapped bars of torrone keep for up to 4 weeks in an airtight tin in a cool, dry place, away from light. The almonds slowly lose their crunch after that. Refrigerator: not recommended, because the humidity of the refrigerator makes the surface sticky and the condensation that forms when it comes out softens the wafer paper. Freezer: not recommended for the same reason.
There is no reheating: torrone is eaten at room temperature. If the bars have become too hard in a cold room, leave them in a warmer spot for an hour before slicing. If the surface has become slightly sticky, dust the cut faces very lightly with cornstarch and brush off the excess.
Nutrition
Per serving, based on 16 servings of 2 pieces:
Calories: 270 kcal
Total Fat: 11 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 25 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 40 g
Fiber: 3 g
Total Sugars: 31 g
Added Sugars: 30 g
Protein: 5 g
Principal micronutrients: vitamin E, magnesium, manganese, riboflavin, calcium, phosphorus
These figures are estimates, calculated on the quantities listed and rounded to the nearest whole number. They vary with the exact size of the pieces and with the amount of syrup lost on the pans and the bowl.
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