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Turrón is Spain's Christmas candy, eaten in the weeks between December 22nd and January 6th — and for most Spaniards, Christmas without it would be as wrong as Christmas without the lottery draw. The hard variety (Alicante) is a solid block of whole Marcona almonds in honey-sugar caramel; the soft variety (Jijona) grinds the almonds into an oily, fudge-like paste. Both have protected geographical indication status tied to the town of Jijona in the Valencia region, where the recipe has been refined since the 15th century, with roots in Moorish al-Andalus confection techniques that used the local honey and almonds the region still produces. The quality marker is the almond percentage: a higher DOP grade requires at least 60% almonds, and the difference between cheap industrial turrón and the genuine article is immediately apparent.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Spread the almonds and hazeln nuts on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until they are golden and fragrant. Let them cool.
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and honey. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 250°F (120°C) on a candy thermometer. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg white until stiff peaks form.
Slowly pour the hot syrup into the egg white while continuing to beat on low speed. Be careful to pour the syrup in a thin, steady stream to avoid cooking the egg white.
Add the vanilla extract and continue to beat until the mixture is thick and glossy.
Fold the toasted almonds and hazelnuts into the syrup mixture until well combined.
Line a baking dish or a mold with edible rice paper (if using). Alternatively, you can line the dish with parchment paper.
Pour the nougat mixture into the prepared dish and spread it out evenly.
If using, cover the top with another layer of edible rice paper.
Allow the turrón to cool completely at room temperature for several hours or overnight.
Once cooled and set, cut the turrón into small squares or rectangles for serving.
Spanish Christmas nougat: hard (whole almonds in caramel) or soft (ground almond paste); both from Jijona.
Jijona, Valencia; Moorish al-Andalus confectionery tradition; legally protected PGI since 1978.
Marcona almonds (60%+ in DOP grade), honey, sugar, egg white; almonds and honey sourced locally in Valencia.
Hard turrón (Alicante) should snap cleanly with a knife, not bend — if it bends, the sugar ratio is off or it's been stored warm.
Eaten as a Christmas sweet alongside cava or sweet Muscat wine; also crumbled over vanilla ice cream.