Ingredients
7 cups hazelnuts, peeled
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 1/8 cup semisweet chocolate, grated
3/4 cup honey, warmed up
3 egg whites, beaten until stiff
Wafer sheets*
*The number of wafer sheets needed will depend on their size
Directions
To peel the hazelnuts of their brown skins
o Preheat oven to 300 F degrees.
o Place the nuts on a cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes (The hazelnuts burn quickly so keep an eye on them).
o Place the nuts while still warm in a linen towel and rub the nuts against each other -- this should remove their brown skins.
To make the torrone
o Beat the egg whites until stiff.
o In a separate container, mix the sugar and water together.
o Place the sugared water in a big saucepan and bring to boil; lower heat and cook until the mixture is a thick syrup and very lightly caramelized -- about 3 minutes.
o Add the chocolate and continue cooking on low heat until the chocolate has melted, stirring continuously (about 3 minutes).
o Add the hazelnuts to the chocolate mixture and continue cooking on very low heat, stirring continuously (about 2 minutes).
o Add the warmed up honey to the chocolate and hazelnut mixture and continue cooking on very low heat, stirring continuously (about 2 minutes).
o Add the stiff egg whites to the mixture. Mix very well.
o Over low heat continue cooking the mixture, stirring continuously, until the beaten egg whites are thoroughly cooked through and the mixture resembles a very thick paste -- about 10 minutes.
o Meanwhile, place a large wafer on a baking sheet.
o When the chocolate hazelnut mixture has the right consistency, spoon it onto to the wafer and spread the mixture out to the thickness of 1/2 of an inch.
o Cover the chocolate hazelnut mixture with another wafer.
o Place the chocolate-hazelnut-filled wafers in the fridge. Let them rest overnight.
o In the morning with a very sharp knife cut the chocolate hazelnut wafers into rectangles -- about 3 inches long and 1 1/2 inch wide.
o Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
Photo: Mary Melfi. |
