Turrón de Alicante (Nougat With Marcona Almonds)

Flavored with honey and marcona almonds, this sweet, crunchy nougat is traditionally broken with a mallet and enjoyed during Christmas.

By
María del Mar Cuadra
A headshot of Maria del Mar Cuadra, a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
María del Mar Cuadra
María del Mar Cuadra is a food stylist, recipe developer, and art director. She has written three cookbooks and worked for America's Test Kitchen.
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Updated August 03, 2023
Side view of turron de alicante stacked on a plate

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

Why It Works

  • The aluminum foil “sling” makes it easy to remove the turrón from its dish and slice.
  • The traditional edible wafer paper on the bottom and top of the nougat keeps it from being too sticky to enjoy.

It was never fancy. Usually, we—my dad and I—would be at the pharmacy or checkout aisle in the supermarket and we'd toss a few glossy rectangular boxes into the red plastic shopping basket or already packed cold metal cart. But somehow, those gold-lettered boxes and cellophane wrapper, along with the excitement of Christmas being just a few days away, made a bar of nut-encrusted, wafer-covered, crunchy, pale golden nougat a once-a-year treat that I truly looked forward to.

Marcona almonds and honey have been used to flavor the nougat for centuries.

Turrón de Alicante is a nougat traditional to Spain served most frequently during the Christmas season. Marcona almonds and honey have been used to flavor the nougat for centuries, their presence in the recipe highlighting local ingredients as well as Arabic influence. Turrón de Alicante is a regional specialty, characterized by a firm nougat sandwiched between two wafer sheets. Turrón de Jijona, a close cousin, is chewier and softer than the Alicante variety. Versions of turrón exist across the Mediterranean, including the Italian torrone.

Making turrón at home this morning, as the smell of honey and almonds wafted from my mixing bowl while the whisk whipped egg whites and hot syrup into a sticky cloud of nougat, I smiled as memory took over and deposited me under the blue-tinted neon lit drugstore. It's the small things that make this season special. And delicious.

December 2011

This recipe was cross-tested in 2023 and updated with more accurate cooking times to guarantee best results.

Recipe Details

Turrón de Alicante (Nougat With Marcona Almonds) Recipe

Prep 30 mins
Active 20 mins
Cooling Time 60 mins
Total 90 mins
Serves 8 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • Nonstick cooking spray

  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (9 ounces; 250g)

  • 1/3 cup (80ml) honey

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) water

  • 1 large egg white, room temperature (1 1/4 ounces; 35g)

  • 1/8 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

  • 2 cups Marcona almonds (8 1/2 ounces; 241g), toasted and still warm

  • 2 sheets of wafer paper, trimmed to 8- by 8-inches (see notes)

Directions

  1. Line an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with one sheet of heavy-duty foil lengthwise, then crosswise with a second sheet to create a sling. Lightly coat sides with spray.

    Pan lined with aluminum foil

    Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

  2. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, honey, and water. Stir with wooden spoon over medium heat until sugar dissolves completely, 2 to 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and boil syrup until thermometer registers 250°F (121°C), 2 to 3 minutes.

    Overhead view of stirring honey mixture in pot

    Serious Eats / Lorena Masso

  3. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg white and salt on medium speed until it holds soft peaks, about 2 minutes.

    Overhead view of soft peaks

    Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

  4. With mixer running on medium-high, add hot syrup to egg white in a slow, steady stream. Beat until mixture is thick and glossy, about 2 minutes.

    Overhead view of pouring sugar into egg white mixture

    Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

  5. Place the whipped egg white mixture into the same saucepan. Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens considerably, becomes a golden brown color, and reaches 300°F (150ºC), 20 to 30 minutes.  Stir in lemon zest and still-warm almonds. Lightly coat silicone spatula with cooking spray; set aside.

    Two image collage of adding egg whites and almonds to mixture

    Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

  6. Place one trimmed sheet of wafer paper in prepared pan (see note). Scrape turrón mixture into pan, spreading in an even layer with the oiled spatula. Top with second sheet of wafer paper, and press down lightly with a flat-bottomed 1/2-cup measure to compress and flatten.

    Two image collage of transferring turron de alicante mixture to a pan and covering with parchment paper

    Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

  7. Let stand at room temperature until set, 1 to 2 hours. Transfer turrón to cutting board with sling. Remove and discard sling, then using a mallet, break into about 8 pieces and serve.

    Two image collage of breaking turron de alicante with a mallet

    Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

Special Equipment

8- by 8-inch baking pan, heavy-duty foil, large heavy-bottomed saucepan, electric mixer, candy thermometer, silicone spatula, wooden spoon, edible wafer paper

Notes

To trim the wafer paper 8- by 8-inches, arrange one sheet on a cutting board. Set the baking pan on paper. With a sharp knife, slice the excess paper off. Repeat with second sheet.

Edible wafer paper is available at most specialty cake shops and online.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
254Calories
7gFat
48gCarbs
3gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories254
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g9%
Saturated Fat 1g3%
Cholesterol 23mg8%
Sodium 42mg2%
Total Carbohydrate 48g17%
Dietary Fiber 1g5%
Total Sugars 43g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg1%
Calcium 37mg3%
Iron 1mg4%
Potassium 104mg2%
*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.)

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