Pistachio Torrone Recipe (2024)

Candy
Stovetop
Pistachios

This pillowy soft nougat is flavored with honey and studded with toasted pistachios.

Lauren Weisenthal

Lauren Weisenthal was the author of the Pie of the Week and Sweet Technique columns for Serious Eats. From 2017–2021, she ran a restaurant called The Nightingale in Vinalhaven, Maine.

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Updated October 19, 2023

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Why It Works

Warming pistachios in the oven before folding them into the nougat keeps the mixture from cooling down, which makes it easier to fold in the nuts.
Stretching and folding the nougat on a cornstarch-dusted surface helps it cool down and ensures it's not sticky.

Back when I was a pastry student and intern, one of the greatest thrills of the experience was demystifying the process of making sweets that I'd previously only enjoyed from packages or specialty stores. This is precisely why I loved learning candy techniques; making ribbon candy, enrobing chocolate, filling bonbons with flowing liquid caramel—suddenly, I could do all these magical things, just like Willy Wonka!

I was especially excited when I learned how to properly make nougat candy, especially the torrone that my Grammy snuck into our pockets each Christmas. Her store-bought, bite-sized version came wrapped in silver foil tucked inside tiny adorable blue boxes. The candy itself was pillowy and just a little chewy, like a very dense marshmallow, flavored intensely with honey and studded with almonds, as is the Italian tradition. My cousins and I were crazy for the stuff back in the day, and we still are now.

Torrone is made by whisking whipped egg whites with a very hot syrup made from honey, sugar, and (sometimes) other invert sugars like glucose or corn syrup. The nougat is whipped to aerate the mixture, creating a magical, pillowy texture from something that would otherwise be a hardened, tooth-cracking block. Once it's cooled a bit, warmed nuts get folded into the nougat by hand. Then it's kneaded a bit on the countertop with a hefty amount of starch to keep it from sticking (and stick it will, to anything left unprotected), and pressed between layers of edible rice paper to set for several hours before cutting.

It's not hard to see why homemade torrone has a reputation for causing cooks pain. The syrup must be brought to a very hot 310°F (154°C, or the hard crack stage) in order for the nougat to set up properly—a cooking process that takes time and vigilance. The cook must decide just when to whip the egg whites so they are at soft peak stage by the time the sugar is ready to be poured in, which can be a nerve-wracking guessing game. Also, the nougat is ultra-sticky, which makes handling it troublesome, as it will adhere to anything it touches. Folding in the nuts, kneading on the countertop, and shaping in the pan can all devolve into a sticky failure if the nougat is mishandled.

But, with a little knowledge and some patience, you can make perfect torrone at home. You can also make a lot of people happy: these make great party treats for New Year's Eve!

This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart Living.

December 2011

Recipe Details

Pistachio Torrone Recipe

Prep30 mins

Cook20 mins

Active45 mins

Cooling Time2 hrs

Total2 hrs 50 mins

Serves24 pieces

Ingredients

Edible wafer paper cut into four 8- by 11-inch sheets
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
3 cups granulated sugar
2 cups shelled raw pistachios (see note)
Optional: seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean, citrus zest, or flavor extracts
1/3 cup cornstarch

Directions

Line a half sheet-sized baking pan with parchment paper, then place two of the 8- by 11-inch pieces of wafer paper on top, without overlapping. Set aside. Pour egg whites into bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; set aside. Measure out confectioners' sugar, salt, and optional flavoring, and set each aside. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a large saucepan (see note), stir to combine honey, corn syrup, water, and granulated sugar. Wash any excess off the sides of the pan using a pastry brush dipped in water. Place over medium heat; cook until mixture just begins to simmer, about 4 minutes. Clip a digital thermometer onto the side of saucepan.
Continue to cook the syrup until a thermometer registers 310°F (154°C), about 10 to 20 minutes. Watch the mixture and thermometer carefully; the syrup will bubble and rise up, then settle back down as it cooks. Once the temperature hits 270°F (132°C) it will climb very fast. Remove the honey mixture from heat and stir until temperature drops to 300°F (149°C).
Meanwhile, quickly beat the egg whites on medium speed. Once they are frothy, lower the speed, add the salt and confectioner's sugar, then return to medium speed to whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Then turn the mixer down to its lowest setting, until the syrup has cooled to 300°F.
Once the syrup has cooled to 300°F, turn up the mixer speed to high, and, with mixer running, slowly pour into whipped egg-white mixture (at this point, whites will double in volume; let stand a few seconds; volume will return to normal). Beat until mixture thickens and begins to stick to beaters, approximately 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place the nuts in the preheated oven to warm for a few minutes, then turn off the oven to hold them. Once the nougat has thickened and is getting trapped inside the whisk, remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the nuts with a spatula or big wooden spoon.
Dust a work surface liberally with cornstarch. Pour mixture onto cornstarch-covered surface. Dust the top of the mixture with additional starch. Fold the meringue and stretch it out. Turn the meringue, and fold and stretch it out again. While the motion of kneading nougat is similar to bread, avoid applying the same amount of pressure. The rhythm is fold, stretch, turn. Repeat another 6 times, applying more starch to any sticky areas as needed.
Dust off excess starch. Stretch nougat to fit the edible paper and transfer to the pan. Cover with another layer of wafer paper. Let cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. After the first 30 minutes, flip candy over in the pan so the bottom paper ends up on top.
Cut into slices with an oiled knife or a pair of kitchen shears. Store in an airtight container between layers of parchment for up to 2 weeks.

Special Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, large saucepan (see note), digital thermometer, stand mixer with whisk attachment, edible wafer paper

Notes

Pistachios should not be toasted, but for other types, you may want to toast the nuts to bring out their oils and flavor. If you are using hazelnuts, toast, then rub off the skins before using.

It's important that you use a pot that is large enough to create a large surface area for cooking, and with sides that are tall enough to hold the liquid as it bubbles and grows when cooking (in the photo above, I use a 6-quart pan).

To cut the torrone, insert the oiled knife straight down into the candy slab, then use the knife to pull the cut piece away. If the edible paper pulls away in some spots, just place it back over the nougat and continue cutting. You may also consider using kitchen shears to cut the torrone.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
215	Calories
5g	Fat
43g	Carbs
3g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories	215
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g	6%
Saturated Fat 1g	3%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 98mg	4%
Total Carbohydrate 43g	16%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Total Sugars 39g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg	2%
Calcium 13mg	1%
Iron 0mg	3%
Potassium 116mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)