Pistachio Torrone

Any one else feeling like they are in the THICK of the holiday season? To give you an idea of how things are running in my kitchen… On Wednesay, I forgot to add baking soda to the Sugar Molasses Crinkle Cookies. That called for a second batch of corrected dough! That same night, I watched the Polar Express with my girls and was so sucked into the roller coaster train ride that I burned the beef stew. Well, the bottom part anyway. I just managed to finally get the carbon off the dutch oven this morning. Thursday, I stepped away from my kitchen and took on the commercial world to get last minute ingredients and pick up peppermint and almond extract (unknowingly, making that 3 bottles of each extract that I now have stored away for I don’t know what!). Friday I woke up and wanted the challenge of a new recipe. In hindsight, after this week’s track record, I really wonder at my bravery. But every day is new, and so I went for it.

I love recipes that make me feel like I am in my fantasy chemistry class. It’s all about watching ingredients change and take on new form. And lots of high heat. As an aside, I hated chemistry, but wouldn’t I have been a star student if they had just related everything to food? Anyway, making this torrone (an Italian nougat) was that kind of fun. Maybe because I was doing something new, I actually paid attention and got it right.

The pistachio torrone came off beautifully, and is, quite frankly, very addictive.

Not at all overly sweet, and the crunch of the roasted pistachios blended with the chew of the nougat keeps you coming back for more. And more. And . . . well, you are getting the idea. You may need to hide them from even yourself if you want to share as gifts.

Pistachio Torrone

Adapted from Gourmet’s Fall/Winter 2012 Holiday Special Addition

Note: This requires about 45 minutes of “active” cooking time, and then a minimum of 8 hours to let the torrone set. Makes about 3 dozen candies or so.

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups clover or other mild honey
• 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 large egg whites
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. orange-flower water (who can find this?!) OR use 1/4 tsp. freshly grated orange zest
• 3/4 tsp. pure almond extract
• 2 and 1/2 cups salted, roasted, and shelled pistachios (5 oz.)
• 1 Tbsp, and more cornstarch
• olive oil for pan and paper

Equipment:

• 8 inch square metal baking pan (I completely missed this measurement and did a 9 x 12 inch rectangle, so suit yourself)
• candy thermometer
• heavy duty stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment
• edible water paper (again, who can find this?) OR parchment paper
• waxed paper for wrapping

Preparation:

1. Oil baking pan with regular olive oil. Line bottom and sides of pan with edible water paper (or parchment), trimming to fit. If you are using parchment, oil the exposed side of the parchment too to prevent sticking.
2. Heat honey, sugar, and water in a 5-qt. heavy pot over low heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil over medium heat, without stirring, washing any sugar crystals down the side of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. (Peek at step #3 right now). Continue boiling, stirring occassionally, until it registers 315° F.
3. At 300° F, beat egg whites with salt in mixer until they hold soft peaks. Remove syrup from heat and let bubbles dissipate.
4. With mixer at low speed, slowly pour hot syrup into whites in a thin stream down side of bowl. Beat on high speed until it has cooled to warm (mixture will rise, then fall), about 20 minutes. Add flower water (or orange zest) and almond extract and beat 1 minute more. With a wooden spoon, stir in pistachios (using a very strong arm).
5. Sprinkle a work surface with 1 Tbsp cornstarch, then gently knead mixture on it a few times (you will need to rub your hands well with cornstarch or you will be stuck). Pat mixture into baking pan and top with water paper (or oiled parchment with oiled side touching torrone), trimming to fit. Let stand at room temperature for 8 hours.
6. Run a thin knife around edges of pan, then invert torrone onto a cutting board. If you are using water paper, leave it all on. If you are using parchement, take it all off and use a paper towel to rub off excess olive oil.
7. Trim ends off (and snack away!), then cut candy into 1 inch wide strips. Then cut strips into rectangles. Wrap torrone pieces individually in waxed paper and store in an airtight container or resealable bag.