How to make
The hard Spanish turron is one of the many varieties of this obligatory dessert for the traditional Christmas and New Year table.
They call it Turron Duro. In its simplest form, it is pure white and only with almonds and it looks like the hard white halva.
I have always been interested in how it is prepared and I have imagined. that it is difficult and impossible to do this at home.
Well, I came to the conclusion that, that is not the case and with the right recipe it turns out it is more than possible.
Since this turron is really for a special occasion, for New Year's Eve, it deserves to be further enriched, in this case with cranberries, walnuts and a delicate rose flavor.
For this purpose, in addition to rose water, I also add rose jam. It is important, that it is smooth and without rose petals, so I separate them in advance through a strainer, but they can be blended if you like. Another option is to use only honey instead of rose jam - a total of 6.7 oz (190 g), for the floral aroma to rely only on rose water.
Another thing I need to say is, that instead of orange honey, any other one works too and this will affect the taste, but it will still work well.
Your products should be prepared before you start, so roast the nuts in a low heated oven - about 30 minutes at 150-60 degrees. Stir them periodically.
Prepare two rectangular molds measuring approximately 20/10/2.5 cm. If you do not have the traditional molds or wooden boxes for turron, you can use chocolate molds or cut out boxes of milk into the required sizes. Cover the mold with greaseproof baking paper or acetate foil.
So, once you have all the products are available, start with the preparation of this magnificent turron:
Measure 30-35 g of egg white and beat it for 15 seconds with a mixer - it should be beaten into a fomay mixture, but just slightly white, but remain in a relatively liquid state;
Add sugar, honey, water and jam to the egg white and start the most important part - stirring at all times and beating for 35 minutes at exactly 210°F (100 degrees). It is best to do this in a water bath and use a kitchen thermometer to record the exact temperature;
It is also good to have an assistant to help us with the beating, as 35 minutes for one person can be quite time consuming, especially in the end, when the mixture thickens and you need a stronger hand and a strong stirrer. If it is possible, use a mixer, but still someone has to hold it and even without physically having to do it, it is still tiring;
After the 35th minute, stop for a few seconds and add the vanilla and red dye dissolved in rose water. Carry on with the stirring for another 5 minutes and you will be able to feel how the mixture has become thick, sticky and stringy. It is similar to the mixture of chewy candies.
In the next moment, act quickly, so the nuts and cranberries should be at hand and prepared - walnuts, chopped in bulk and the almonds need to be whole. Pour them and stir quickly. If you delay that, the mixture sets almost instantly.
Immediately distribute it into two forms and press it with a greased spatula to flatten it out and so that it fills all corners. Stick another layer of baking paper on top (lightly greased).
The turron is left at room temperature for 24 hours.
Before being served at the festive table, the rose turron is uncovered and cut with a greased sharp knife. The pieces are left for 15 minutes to harden and not stick too much. Arrange them on an elegant platter and serve them.
It is best to prepare it a few days in advance, because the longer it stays, the rose, almond, walnut and cranberry turron will become harder.
Sometimes 24 hours is not enough and if it is still stringy and sticky, it is left to dry for another hour.
