Turrón de Jijona (Spanish Soft Almond Nougat)

Turrón de Jijona bars stacked on a gray ceramic plate

Turrón de Jijona (Spanish Soft Almond Nougat)

Homemade Spanish almond nougat made with toasted almonds, honey, and lemon zest. Chilled for 24 hours, it sets into a sliceable bar with a delicate, soft texture.

Recipe Developer-Estefania

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 24 35

Ingredients

Instructions

Line an approximately 8¼ × 3⅛-inch (21 × 8 cm) mold with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang to lift out the finished turrón.
Place 250 g whole blanched almonds in a dry frying pan and toast for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
In a clean bowl, beat 1 large egg white until stiff peaks form. Separately, pulse the cooled toasted almonds in a food processor until finely ground, stopping before they turn into almond butter.
Place 50 g honey in a small saucepan and heat gently until it begins to bubble. Add 200 g powdered sugar and stir until incorporated. Continue heating gently until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage, 113 °C-116 °C, on a candy thermometer. Keep the thermometer tip in the syrup without touching the bottom of the pan. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Stir 1 teaspoon lemon zest into the syrup. With the saucepan off the heat, add the whipped egg white a little at a time, stirring thoroughly after each addition until evenly incorporated.
Gradually add the ground almonds, stirring until the mixture forms a thick, evenly combined paste.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared mold. Press firmly into the corners and smooth the surface with a spatula. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Lift the turrón out using the parchment paper, unwrap, and cut into 9 bars with a sharp knife.

Notes

Choose your texture: Grind the cooled almonds finely for a smoother turrón, or leave some coarser pieces for a little crunch. Stop before they turn into almond butter.

Use a candy thermometer: Check that the syrup reaches 235–240°F (113–116°C). An infrared thermometer gun only measures the surface, so it is not a reliable substitute.

Press firmly into the mold: Push the mixture into the corners and smooth the surface to remove air pockets. This helps the turrón hold together when sliced.

Nutrition