JIJONA TURRON
An old traditional recipe from the town of Jijona in the Alicante province. This famous sweet, similar to nougat, based on almonds, honey and egg, is a typical delight eaten at xmas time.
Ingredients
300g ground almonds
300g clear honey
50g sugar
2g cinamon powder
30g egg whites
pinch of salt
Directions
Toast the ground almonds in a large pan over a medium heat, stirring constantly for a few minutes until they begin to brown and release their characteristic aroma. Remove and let cool.
Put the honey with the sugar in a saucepan, heat on a low setting and cook until they are integrated into a semi-liquid mass, stirring gently. Remove from the fire.
Whisk the egg whites until they foam and add to the saucepan, stirring quickly. Return to the heat, at a very low temperature, and cook stirring constantly until a thick cream forms, preventing the egg white from curdling.Remove from the heat and add the almonds, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Work the whole mixture vigorously until you have a fairly thick but malleable dough.
Spread the dough into an oblong tray lined with baking parchment, pressing well. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper and put a weight on top (for example, a milk carton). Wait for it to cool down and then let it cool in the fridge for at least six hours, or overnight, with the weight on top.