5 Ingredients or Fewer

Torrone Sardo (Sardinian Nougat)

by:
November 29, 2013
5
2 Ratings
Torrone Sardo (Sardinian Nougat)
  • Serves 10
Author Notes

There are two main ways to make this traditional Sardinian torrone. The first is to place the honey and unbeaten (or lightly beaten) egg whites in a pan then gently heat while stirring continuously with a wooden spoon for 45 minutes. Nuts are then added and mixed for a further 30 minutes. The second way – the way I've done it – is to whisk the whites to peaks and add it to honey melted in a bainmarie before carrying on with the same procedure and stirring, adding nuts, stirring.

It's a simple, even relaxing recipe. No watching of thermometers, no scalding syrup or defining moments. Just a gentle heat and slow, continuous stirring. Put on some good music, or better yet, have some good company in the kitchen with you so you can share the stirring and you're halfway there.

The most traditional recipe uses just almonds and Sardinian honey, which is gathered from the Mediterranean scrub that surrounds the island. Try a small portion of pistachio, pine nuts or hazelnuts too. Try dried figs or other dried fruit in it too, just be mindful of the proportions. You can peel your almonds, but I like the contrast of the skins on, either way, an even toasting in the oven is a must to bring out the flavour. If you wanted to add some further aromatics to the batch, try some grated fresh orange or lemon peel or a freshly scraped vanilla bean pod. Typically, it's set between two special wafers known as ostia in Italian. If you can't get these easily, line your pan with parchment as described below. The result is a soft, chewy nougat - a torrone morbido. —Emiko

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/2 pound nuts, such as whole almonds
  • 1/2 pound honey
  • 2 egg whites
Directions
  1. Prepare a small square or rectangular baking dish with a layer of ostia (traditional wafer) cut to size or two layers of parchment cut to size, one long piece covering the dish vertically, another long piece covering it horizontally, so that the sides of the dish will be covered and you can fold the parchment over the top of the torrone while it is setting.
  2. For the nuts, it's traditional to use 100% whole peeled almonds, but you can leave them unpeeled or do a mix, substituting a portion of almonds for other nuts or even dried fruit such as figs. Place the nuts on a single layer in a baking tray and toast in oven at 325º F, about 10-15 minutes or until shiny and fragrant. Set aside.
  3. Place honey in a large bowl over a saucepan of water (bain marie) on the lowest heat. Make sure the bowl is not touching the water. Heat honey until it melts, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
  4. In the meantime, whisk egg whites to stiff peaks in a separate bowl. Add the whites to the bowl of honey, stirring with the wooden spoon to incorporate. It should turn into a caramel-coloured cream. Keep cooking, stirring slowly but continuously over gentle heat for 45 minutes. The mixture should thicken and become pale. A small test should determine that your torrone is at a good stage – a drop of the mixture in a glass of water should solidify into a soft ball, not dissolve immediately.
  5. Add the nuts to the mixture and continue cooking and stirring for 30 minutes. Pour into your prepared baking tin. Fold over the parchment to cover the top and smooth it down, pressing the torrone gently with your hands. If using the more traditional ostia, place another layer of ostia cut to size on top and press gently but firmly. Place in a cool place to set for a couple of hours.
  6. When set, cut the torrone into thick slices with a sharp, heavy knife (a little olive oil wiped onto the knife helps). Wrap in parchment or cellophane and tie with pretty string or ribbon for the perfect homemade holiday gift. Keeps very well wrapped in parchment or cellophane and stored somewhere cool.
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107 Reviews

MC
MC September 27, 2021
Done it twice and it turned out very good. Just to be clear, do you cook in bain marie for the whole time? even when adding the egg whites plus nuts? Thank you, MC
 
LittleBlackPot
LittleBlackPot July 20, 2020
Spent 4 hours total: made pizzelles to line the pan as I saw a ostie maker and thought they'd be similar. Don't know if that is so; the pizzelles worked out. I let the candy cook extra at both stages considering honey (I used local huajillo honey) is hygroscopic and wanted it to set on my first attempt. After pouring into the pizzelle-lined pan, I topped it with edible rice paper. Cut easily, tastes excellent! This is a great recipe!
 
B03
B03 March 5, 2020
How long does this recipe take overall?
I'm thinking of making it for a Food Tech Assessment Task.
I only have 2 hours to make, but should be ok for setting time not to be included in this.
 
B03
B03 March 5, 2020
Could you use raw honey?
 
B03
B03 March 5, 2020
Or what about Macadamia Honey?
 
Jeremy W.
Jeremy W. August 3, 2020
Yupp. You will destroy the living bacteria but it will work fine!
 
Emma
Emma April 14, 2018
Id like to make this for my dads birthdy ina couple of days but i have to ask what is the point of whisking the egg whites before adding to the honey if all the air will be stirred out when cooking? Does it make a difference to the end product?
 
Emiko
Emiko April 15, 2018
Absolutely! That opaque white colour and soft, fluffy, chewy texture is all due to the egg whites being whipped -- the whipping changes the structure of the proteins similar to how heating changes the structure of the proteins -- you can't go back. I have never made it without whipping the whites to confidently give you a side by side comparison of what will happen but I'm pretty sure it'll be a giant, inedible flop if you don't whip them!
 
Emma
Emma April 15, 2018
Thanks so much for that! Im going to make it tomorrow and am so grateful that youve lrovided a recipe where i dont have to panic over temperatures and add in glucose etc xx
 
Janice S.
Janice S. October 31, 2020
Can I use a layer sugar sheets on the top and bottom so it doesn’t stick ?
 
Janice S.
Janice S. October 31, 2020
A layer cake of sugar sheets Or rice paper ?
 
deliane
deliane February 22, 2018
(sorry- typo: terrOne, of course. spellcheck! always thinks it knows best (-: )
 
deliane
deliane February 22, 2018
thank you very much for posting this! I have been searching and searching for the exquisite terrine I had in Italy.. but all the ones I've found in stores in New York have the glucose syrup, corn starch, etc etc.. I am looking forward to trying this-- so simple- and so 'Old World slow'.. sigh! with just 3 ingredients, all that matters is quality and taking the time to do something right. how lovely.
 
etm567
etm567 February 2, 2018
Excuse me for being an old lady grammar policewoman, but you don't mean to substitute almonds for other nuts, you mean to substitute some other nuts for some of the almonds. The substitute is the different thing you add. For some reason, the younger generation often gets this backwards. Like a substitute teacher is substituting for the regular teacher. You can substitute some pistachios for some of the almonds. Not the other way around.
 
Anthony B.
Anthony B. January 8, 2019
Lol.
There goes the neighbourhood for the older folks.
 
Ashley A.
Ashley A. November 10, 2016
Hmm at a loss, after mixing the whites and honey there is only a layer of light colored foam at the top with a layer of honey at the bottom. Should I cook longer than the suggested 45 min? Thanks !
 
Ashley A.
Ashley A. November 10, 2016
Oh and I stirred slowly the whole time!
 
Christina K.
Christina K. October 24, 2016
First of all thank you thank you thank you for this recipe! My father was born in Patada in Sardegna and I remember as a child buying to toronne like this on the streets of the town during festival. Every time my dad went to Italy we all waited for him to bring some back. My father is been gone for six years now and it has brought so much joy to my family being able to have this wonderful treat again. I have had some issue with batches not setting, in reading some of the comments here I see that it is just a case of cooking it longer. I have a question for you though. have you ever tried making larger batches? If so did you have issues with that? I tried and it didn't set after an hour and a half to two hours of stirring. I just don't know if it just takes longer or if it just doesn't work in larger batches. Can you please advise?
 
Fredrik B.
Fredrik B. December 19, 2015
It doesn't really seem to be setting. I did try the water control, which seemed like a success, but it's still incredibly soft and sticky after 24 hours.
 
Emiko
Emiko December 19, 2015
Sounds like it needs to be cooked a little longer (even though the test should confirm it's right). You can try putting it back on the heat (a reader below did this and had success!) for a bit longer. It shouldn't be as sticky as this sounds once it's set.
 
Fredrik B.
Fredrik B. December 20, 2015
Tried melting it down and heating it for another half hour. Which was probably a complete overkill, since it reduced quite a bit, but this time it set nearly seconds after I was done.
 
fiorentina C.
fiorentina C. December 25, 2014
I had one problem when the torrone the honey and the egg white were always very foaming and the honey and eggs were never thicking ,I donot know were I whened wrong,could you explain it to me.
 
karamou
karamou December 26, 2014
I made the recipe several times over the last few days and over different hobs. I realised that some needed more heat than what it says on the recipe. If you heat it more it should thicken without problems.
 
Kristina N.
Kristina N. December 22, 2014
Does anyone have any idea what you can substitute the edible paper for? Would parchment paper do?
 
Emiko
Emiko December 22, 2014
Yep! As you'll see in the photos and recipe above, I used parchment paper - Instruction no 1 tells you how to use it! :)
 
Kristina N.
Kristina N. December 22, 2014
Oops! Thank you! Can't wait to give it a try!
 
Betty M.
Betty M. December 20, 2014
This came out so nicely! I used Turkish honey which gave it a beautiful caramel color. Almonds and dried cranberries with a dash of almond extract and some lemon zest.
 
Linda M.
Linda M. December 19, 2014
just tried my first slice...pretty good...not like the picture but as I substituted a mix of dried sour cherries and pistachios (did by weight with total at 8 oz), that's to be expected. Used a silicon loaf pan lined with the edible paper. I have another recipe that I like so may have to give it a try to compare side by side...
 
karamou
karamou December 18, 2014
Just made the recipe: great smell, exact timing and proportions, just perfect! Can't wait to try it and share it as christmas present! Thanks a lot for the recipe
 
cookdoctor
cookdoctor December 18, 2014
Definitely going to try it!
 
Linda M.
Linda M. December 18, 2014
given the 6x6 seems large from the comment below, can you provide any info on the preferred size of pan? A bread loaf pan perhaps?
 
Emiko
Emiko December 21, 2014
I used a 7x8 inch pan actually (you can see it in the photos)! I think something may have gone amiss below.
 
Liz
Liz December 17, 2014
The cooking for 30 more minutes after adding the nuts feels a bit long to me. 15 minutes in all airiness was gone and it became very thick. Could barely fill the bottom of my 6x6 pan with a thin layer. What should it look like when it comes off the heat?
 
Emiko
Emiko December 21, 2014
Hi Liz, 30 minutes is just about right timing but sometimes you may need more and to find that out you should do the soft ball test which is described above. It sounds like something went drastically wrong here! The nougat in the photos above were made in a 7x8 inch pan so there should definitely have been enough to make a layer more than an inch thick. When it comes off the heat it should be very thick and glossy and look like the image above where you can see it in the aforementioned pan. Hope that helps!
 
Susan M.
Susan M. December 7, 2014
This was easy and turned our perfectly when recipe followed as described. the comments and questions blow my mind. Pop.
 
Paige
Paige October 28, 2014
Hi, I was just wondering if this was soft or hard nougat?
 
Emiko
Emiko October 28, 2014
Hi! It's described in the Author notes above - this makes a soft, chewy nougat (torrone morbido).
 
Maggie
Maggie September 15, 2014
I love this, but mine was waaaaay to sweet, reading through the comments, did anyone work out whether the amount of honey was volumetric or weight based? If I just add less honey, will it still work?
 
Emiko
Emiko September 15, 2014
The amount of honey required is based on weight (1/2 pound or 225 grams) and should equal the same weight as the nuts. You could try using different types of honey and finding one that you prefer the taste of! This is traditionally done with a wildflower or herb honey.
 
Maggie
Maggie September 17, 2014
Thank you, I did, I went a bit overboard with three more batches (one with Brazils which was lovely as well), and found clover honey is a bit nicer :) The only other issue is longevity; they all set beautifully, but two days later they're getting a bit sticky/slimy, and the rice papers I've been using to stop sticky fingers are sliding off...is there a way to prevent this?
 
Maggie
Maggie September 17, 2014
By the way, thanks for answering our questions almost a year after you've written the article!
 
Emiko
Emiko September 17, 2014
It sounds like it's not being cooked long enough - the soft ball test is a good one to be sure that it's set enough. Also perhaps try storing somewhere cool, even in the fridge. Hope that helps!
 
Christina K.
Christina K. October 24, 2016
Keep it in the refrigerator it gets harder which is how I like it but will soften to normal after a few minutes out of the fridge
 
Megan E.
Megan E. September 1, 2014
just finished my first attempt, had a slight issue with separation to begin with but a 10min blitz with an electronic whisk got me nicely on my way. mix tasted great, it's gonna be a little thin because i didn't have the right tray for it but all in all quite pleased with myself :)
 
Megan E.
Megan E. September 2, 2014
turned out really well but will probably use fewer nuts in future. have been asked to make some with dried cherries instead of nuts for my boss, will let you know how it turns out. it's nice to have found something sweet she can enjoy, she has M.E. and due to extensive food intolerances has a very limited diet. thank you so much for such a simple yet wonderful recipe :)
 
RW
RW May 13, 2014
how long does this keep? Wouldn't it be lovely in a care package.
 
Amit
Amit January 13, 2014
Seems interesting!
Can you please tell me if I can use white sugar instead or honey? and at what proportion?
will the process stays same?
Somehow I dont like taste of Honey.
 
Emiko
Emiko January 13, 2014
You could do a traditional nougat or other Italian torrone, which are usually made with a mixture of honey and sugar. It's a similar process but you may want to look for another recipe. Sardinian torrone is unique in that it only calls for honey. Surprisingly, this torrone doesn't taste of honey though - a delicate honey should be used rather than one with a strong taste (generally speaking a lighter toned honey is the way to go!).
 
marmar
marmar January 12, 2014
My torrone never firmed up! It's stayed incredibly sticky - had to peel off the parchment paper bit by bit. No idea what I did wrong! Any advice??
 
Emiko
Emiko January 13, 2014
It wasn't cooked long enough - you can try putting it back on the heat again and cook longer (another reader below had success doing this!). Check for doneness by the soft ball method - a drop of the hot mixture in a glass of cold water should firm up into a soft ball and not dissolve.
 
adamx97
adamx97 December 20, 2013
I think once the nuts were added and it became dense it was already thick. I used 8oz honey by weight, should I have used 1cup, that is, 8oz by volume
 
adamx97
adamx97 December 19, 2013
carrie, i had the same experience on 3 occasions: the nuts deflated it and the nougat lost its airiness.
 
carrie
carrie December 18, 2013
I tried making tonight and all seemed like it was going well (even the water drop test), but when I added the nuts and kept cooking, the nougat mixture really deflated and ended up mostly nuts. Does this mean I didn't cook it long enough before adding the nuts?
 
Emiko
Emiko December 19, 2013
This happens, it's quite normal and not necessarily that something has gone wrong, just keep cooking the mixture until it becomes very thick!
 
diane S.
diane S. December 15, 2013
It actually worked, I only needed 10 more minutes. I am excited to try different combinations of nuts and zests.thank you!
 
Emiko
Emiko December 15, 2013
oh great to know! I have read about people putting a blow torch to the outside of the pan too - good to know it worked!
 
diane S.
diane S. December 15, 2013
After reading all 49 comments I realize I didn't quite get to the soft ball stage. Could I take it out of the pan and reheat it, cook till that stage. Or do I throw it out and start over? It tastes great by the way. Thanks!
 
Emiko
Emiko December 15, 2013
That's actually a good question - you could try recooking it but honestly I've never tried doing that with a non set torrone! If you do, be sure to let us know how it went! Thanks.
 
Dan R.
Dan R. December 12, 2013
I'll be making this torrone recipe this weekend!
 
withinseason
withinseason December 12, 2013
this is new to me but sounds fantastic! so... how does the ostia work exactly? does it attach ans stay on the candy? as in, i cut through the ostia and leave it on...or peel it off before eating?
 
Ernesto
Ernesto December 12, 2013
You cut through the ostia and leave it on since it's an edible "paper" wafer. It basically makes the nougat look pretty and prevents it from sticking. The Torrone is quite sticky to handle. Also, the ostia doesn't really have much taste to it.
 
Emiko
Emiko December 13, 2013
It's similar to rice paper in that it's edible and keeps your fingers clean - but you can easily use parchment/baking paper instead, just remember that parchment has to be removed before eating!
 
bkmmtl
bkmmtl December 9, 2013
Made this last night, unfortunately I only had local Quebec honey. Followed the instructions to the minute however part of the honey and egg did not really set together so the bottom of the Torone is a little mushy. It also has a very strong and sweet honey taste which might be due to the type that I used. I might go buy one in the store to compare as it does taste very sweet. Other than that it is great. Believe it or not I found the wafers at the dollar store which I was not expecting at all.
 
Emiko
Emiko December 11, 2013
Oh yes, sounds like it definitely wasn't ready to take off the heat yet. I'd recommend a more delicate honey (and perhaps, to be closer to the traditional honey used, a wildflower or wild herb honey). When you think the mixture is ready, you can always do the soft ball test - put a drop in a glass of water and it should turn into a soft ball and NOT dissolve. If it dissolves, you need to keep cooking! Hope that helps. Good news about the wafers!
 
Printz
Printz December 8, 2013
I can't wait to try this! Do you have a preference for the type of pot to use? I have heavy All Clad copper (which I love) but it tends to cook hotter when I attempt any type of cooked sugar ( caramel) or rock candy. Does a thinner stainless pot give one more control? Thanks :)
 
Emiko
Emiko December 11, 2013
Interesting question. I think as this is done on a bain marie that it shouldn't make too much of a difference on the pot as you're essentially cooking with the steam coming from the simmering water below - the copper pot however is very traditional for making this torrone in Sardinia so you're probably all good to go with that one!
 
I_Fortuna
I_Fortuna December 8, 2013
By the way, I know the paper wafers are neater and nicer but cornstarch applied with a soft fluffly brush (like a makeup mop brush or watercolor mop) will work too. And, if you store the nougat in a paper bag in a cool dry spot or paper lined container, it will be less likely to get sticky.
 
Emiko
Emiko December 11, 2013
Good tip! Cornstarch isn't very traditional with this torrone but it's certainly handy to know for home cooks, thanks!
 
I_Fortuna
I_Fortuna December 8, 2013
I was going to make sugar free cookies topped with printed wafer papers from Fancy Flours but I like this idea too. Maybe I will make both. We, and our neighbors are diabetic so I will have to adapt the recipe. Of course, it will not taste authentic like yours but we will be able to safely enjoy it and benefit from the protein in the egg whites. I will also be using pecans since we live in the South. I will let you know if I decide to try it and how it comes out. Thanks for this recipe. : )
 
Emiko
Emiko December 11, 2013
Good luck, I'd be interested to know how the diabetic version comes out!
 
Muse
Muse December 8, 2013
My Dad used to love torrone when he was alive...will make some for Christmas in honor of him. Thank you for posting your recipe! Peace, Light and Love.
 
Ernesto
Ernesto December 4, 2013
I want to make lots of torrone to give away for Christmas (and have some for ourselves). Would it OK to just double the recipe?
 
Emiko
Emiko December 4, 2013
Of course! Double it works just fine, just keep in mind the volume of the whites once beaten and the logistics when stirring a very large pot over the simmering saucepan!
 
Ernesto
Ernesto December 12, 2013
I made this last Sunday and it turned out great! Because I doubled the recipe, I continued to mix the honey and egg whites for another 15 minutes longer until it was pale and has the texture of a taffy. Thanks a lot for the pairing this recipe!
 
Ernesto
Ernesto December 12, 2013
I meant "posting this recipe".
 
Emiko
Emiko December 13, 2013
Great to hear! Thanks for the feedback!
 
lem M.
lem M. December 4, 2013
This recipe is every bit as promising, as it sounded in your instagram "teasers" – I have several torrone lovers in my family and am very excited to try this much more relaxing method.

I had been wondering about the honey choice and suspecting that macchia honey might be the most traditional one. Do you have any preferences? I assume that it is one of the defining flavours here…
 
Emiko
Emiko December 4, 2013
haha thanks :) Yes, the honey that is traditionally used is usually a local one made from the "macchia mediterranea"! It's what gives it part of its unique flavour. If you can't get that, I think something like wild thyme honey might be a good go...
 
lem M.
lem M. December 4, 2013
Thank you, I will see what I can get my hands on :)

Tuscan inland macchia or Austrian alpine pasture (including heather, alpenrose, and most probably wild thyme) are the most likely ones.
 
Kim
Kim December 4, 2013
Is it possible to make a variation on this with no nuts (or anything) added? Just the nougat. How would the recipe need to be adjusted? Thank you!
 
Emiko
Emiko December 4, 2013
That's a good question, I would think you just make it minus the nuts and be aware that it would make a much smaller volume of torrone than with the nuts (perhaps use a smaller tin to get the height needed). Let us know how it goes!
 
Andrew H.
Andrew H. December 3, 2013
I'm a bit confused. When you say to melt the honey, do you mean that you need to use a honey that is solid at room temperature?
 
Emiko
Emiko December 4, 2013
What I mean is that the honey has to be heated so it is at its most liquid form possible! Hope that helps.
 
Laura S.
Laura S. December 3, 2013
Beautiful art on this article--looking forward to trying this. Wafer paper can be found here http://www.fancyflours.com/category/unprinted-blank-edible-wafer-paper They also have printed wafer paper--might make some interesting torrone.
 
Emiko
Emiko December 4, 2013
Good idea!
 
Wren
Wren December 3, 2013
What size dish did you use? bigger or smaller than, say, 8" by 8"?
 
Emiko
Emiko December 3, 2013
Good question! I used a dish that's 8" x7" (an 8x8 I'm sure is fine too!).
 
mensaque
mensaque December 3, 2013
My mom loves torrone...when it's soft.Does this one get stiff once it's cool?
 
Emiko
Emiko December 3, 2013
No, as in the notes above the recipe, it's a soft torrone. Your mom should love this!
 
mensaque
mensaque December 3, 2013
I'm sure she will...Sorry,I did not read your notes.I was so thrilled about the recipe that I cut to chase!Thanks for posting it,and I'm gonna go work out my arms now,so that I can keep up with all the stirring,hahaha!XOXO>
 
Emiko
Emiko December 4, 2013
:)
 
fantasticna
fantasticna December 3, 2013
I live in Sardinia and usually buy the local one but I will try to make it on my own. Thanks so much.
 
Emiko
Emiko December 4, 2013
Lucky! Well since you're there, you should definitely use 100% Sardinian macchia honey for the most traditional taste.
 
Sodium G.
Sodium G. December 3, 2013
Can you use dried fruit or seeds to replace the nuts?
 
Emiko
Emiko December 3, 2013
Yes, check out the notes above the recipe - I've already described some recommended examples of substitutions. As long as you keep the proportions the same (total 1/2 pound of nuts/fruit/seed), you can really use whatever you like.
 
Hope :.
Hope :. December 2, 2013
Oh, this looks gorgeous! I'll have to add this to my holiday baking/cooking menu. Thanks so much for introducing me to a recipe I've never heard of before. :)
 
Emiko
Emiko December 3, 2013
You're welcome. Hope you enjoy it!
 
fearlessem
fearlessem December 2, 2013
What is the texture of this torrone when it is done? Is it chewy or crunchy?
 
Emiko
Emiko December 3, 2013
It's a soft/chewy torrone (torrone morbido).
 
Yveb
Yveb September 12, 2022
Good Morning, we made a batch of nougat it looked great while making it, we put ours in little bottles but when it settled the honey split a bit from the nougat, do you perhaps know why this would happen?
 
lapadia
lapadia December 2, 2013
I love these! Brings back a lot of memories will have to make them, thanks for posting.
 
Coing
Coing December 2, 2013
I was wanting to make this. Does anyone know a good source for the ostia?
 
Emiko
Emiko December 3, 2013
Someone posted this in the comments of the article on torrone that I wrote that goes with this recipe - this could be your answer? http://store.gourmetsleuth.com/wafer-paper-100-sheets-P467.aspx
 
sarabclever
sarabclever December 2, 2013
I have been wanting to make this for so long! Thanks for the recipe!
 
Emiko
Emiko December 3, 2013
You're welcome!
 
luvcookbooks
luvcookbooks November 30, 2013
The little packages are so pretty. Adding this to my gifts to make wish list.
 
Emiko
Emiko December 3, 2013
Thanks Meg!