Apricot & Almond Torrone Morbido

Almond Torrone with ApricotsLast week, I spotted a really simple recipe for torrone and even though I thought I wasn’t a fan of the Italian candy, I just had to give it a try.

Torrone, if you’re unfamiliar, is a shiny white nougat dotted with nuts and dried fruits that makes an appearance in every Italian shop and household at Christmas time.  I’m sure my brothers and sister remember it as that weird white candy our Italian relatives would faithfully send every year.  We’d dare each other to try it after we finished our more palatable peanut butter balls and cut-out cookies…in other words, it may be an acquired taste for some.

Well, it’s a taste that I’ve now acquired!  This likely has to do with the fact that this is a softer, chewier torrone; the torrone of my childhood was torrone “duro”, a very hard candy that would split into crunchy shards when cut.  Torrone “morbido” is a soft, chewy torrone.  It’s made with whipped egg whites and honey, cooked together until they’re thick and sticky, then flavored with whatever nuts and dried fruit you like.  

Interested?  You should give it a try!  I’ll walk you through the process.

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Candied Orange Peel…Christmas is Coming

Orangette

I might be the only Christmas-celebrating food blogger out there who hasn’t been bombarding her readers with cookie recipes, ideas for edible gifts, and seasonal treats for the last few weeks.  I don’t know; I just wasn’t feeling the baking bug yet.

Then on Sunday, Matt and I drove a hundred miles over (two) rivers and through the woods arriving at a terribly charming Christmas tree farm.  I should add that we were traveling in near white-out conditions through a real-life winter wonderland, while rockin’ out to some holiday tune-age.

 

 

Suddenly, I was feeling it.  You can’t have a day of near-death driving that results in a Christmas tree and a tangle of twinkle lights in the middle of your living room without wanting a little cookie to nibble.  We’d better get down to business.

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