Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love.
This Turrón de Jijona recipe came from my podcast guest, Mar Lozano. Mar lives in a very old, traditional coastal town near the city of Jijona in the Alicante province of Spain. I invite you to listen to her episode, Christmas in Alicante while you make her Turron Jijona!
The Alicante region boasts a very rich turrón tradition featuring many versions of almond nougat. Typically, Turrón de Jijona is very soft (initially the consistency of peanut butter) while Turron de Alicante is so firm it snaps when you break it. Mar favors the very soft version and that's the recipe she's shared with us here.
Around Christmas time, Mar's grandmother made this turron recipe for Mar's mother, who is gluten-free. They used a spoon to scoop the very thick, rich nougat and ate the turrón balls with their fingers.
It is made with simple ingredients - - whole almonds, sugar, raw eggs, lemon zest, and cinnamon. The methodology couldn't be simpler - roast and grind the almonds, stir with a wooden spoon - and leave it to sit for up to 14 days. (We did include instructions for a version cooked over low heat in a pan if you prefer to speed up the process.)
About Mars, Contributer of this Turron Recipe
Mar's Memories of Turrón de Jijona
My grandmum prepares these every year with other typical biscuits (Rollets d'anís and Rossegons) from my town.
She makes a massive amount of them and then she brings them to all the family members. They are delicious!
-Mars Lozano
Learn More About Christmas in Spain and Turrón de Jijona
Episode 144: Christmas Around the World Mini Series, Part 2, Christmas in Alicante
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FAQ About Turrón de Jijona
Are Turrón de Xixona and Turrón de Jijona the same?
Yes, different spellings but NOT different names. Xixona is simply the Catalanese spelling of Jijona. Mar's mother is Catalanese, so she spells it that way. Both refer to the same town of Jijona in the Alicante province of Spain.
Are Turrón de Alicante and Turrón de Jijona the same?
No, there are many varieties of turrón in Spain and these two are distinctly different. While the ingredients are very similar, the Alicante version is hard and the Jijona version is soft.
Mar writes: The soft version is from Xixona town, and the hard nougat version with whole almonds is from Alicante. But, Xixona is a small town of the province of Alicante. We have the Alicante region, which I’m from (my town and Xixona are in it), and Alicante city. So, the name of my region and its main city are the same. Maybe because of that, it is confusing.
Does this recipe call for special almonds?
Not exactly. However, although Mar didn't specify Marcona almonds in her Jijona recipe, it's likely that she uses these almonds, as they grow abundantly in Spain. Marcona almonds are much lighter in color than the Californian almonds we predominantly eat in the U.S. They are rounder, larger, softer, fattier, and sweeter as well. You can read about these famous Marcona almonds here.
However, I didn't have access to Marcona almonds when making this recipe. I began with the typical raw California-grown almonds from my local grocery store.
You can see the difference in color - my nougat is very dark compared to the lighter color Spanish turron sold in local shops. I'd guess the sweet flavor and fattier, softer texture of the Marcona almonds would affect the flavor and texture outcome as well. But this is a case of I don't miss what I don't know I'm missing. We loved the nougat exactly as it was made with our California-grown almonds.
What should I use to grind the almonds? How finely should I grind them?
This is a question I had to ask Mar in our interview. The first time I made this recipe, I didn't grind them nearly fine enough. She told me that her grandmother uses a coffee grinder to grind hers. I was a little cocky and thought I could get away with using a food processor - but I was wrong. The result was a very granular concoction held together by syrup - nothing like the smooth, thick, rich paste that Mar was showing me.
The next time, following Mar's instructions, I began by grinding the almonds roughly in a food processor, and then transferring small batches to a coffee grinder. By the time I was done, the almonds were reduced to a very thick paste. It held together when I pressed it between my thumb and forefinger and the almond oil practically oozed out. It was as if I could already see the turron taking shape!
A cup of water seems like a lot. Do I really need to add this much?
This is Mar's grandmother's authentic recipe, which she's made every Christmas season for years and years! So I was not quick to change it. It is true that the recipe creates a very soft turrón. Initially, it is just a sticky paste, the consistency of peanut butter. This is correct, Mar assures me! It is edible this way and will firm up the longer it sits. In fact, after just 24 hours in the fridge, the top no longer stuck to the parchment paper on top.
However, if you're in a hurry, I recommend following the cooking instructions in the recipe below rather than just minimizing the amount of water. This way, you'll be sure to dissolve the sugar.
How much cinnamon should I use? What is typical?
As Mar says, this is an issue entirely of taste. I'd recommend 1 teaspoon per egg. (It's easiest to divide the recipe by 3 since it calls for 3 eggs and 3 egg yolks.)
So if you make the entire recipe, use 3 teaspoon of cinnamon. But you can adjust this to your taste.
Can I substitute other types of nuts for this in case I don’t like almonds?
Sure. Of course, every nut has a different flavor and fat content, so the results will vary a bit. However, as discussed above, we're already changing the recipe when we use California-grown almonds instead of Marcona almonds, so feel free to experiment further.
This recipe contains raw eggs. Is it safe to let this rest at room temperature for multiple days?
Once again, I emphasize that this is a traditional recipe, made by Mar's grandmother for many, many years. I can also assure you that we stayed healthy eating this nougat, having let it rest for 4 days in the refrigerator, covered with parchment paper.
With that said, the CDC recommends against ever eating raw eggs. If this is something that makes you uncomfortable, you should do more research on egg safety and make a determination that seems right to you.
Lots of recipes call for egg whites. This calls for egg yolks. Are you sure it's correct?
Yes! I did reach out to Mar to confirm this exact question. She double-checked with her grandmother and related back to me: Her grandmother definitely uses 3 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks. (I made 1/3 of the recipe the first time I tried this.) There was no mistake in translation.
Equipment List
- Food processor
- Coffee grinder OR spice grinder OR heavy duty nut and spice grinder
- Parchment paper
- Plastic wrap
- Baking sheet
- Mixing bowl
- Airtight container
- Large pot (optional if you are doing it the alternative way)
More Christmas Desserts Around The World Recipes
Recipe
Turrón de Jijona Recipe: Soft Almond Nougat
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 48 servings 1x
Description
Turrón de Jijona is a classic sweet treat in Spain over the Holiday season. This includes two methods: the traditional method, as made by Mar's grandmother and an alternative method Mar suggests for quicker drying.
Ingredients
- 1 kg ground almonds (1000g)
- 2 cups sugar (400g)
- 3 eggs (whole)
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp grated lemon
- Cinnamon (there is not a specific quantity, this depends on your taste and preferences)
- 1 cup water* (236mL)
Instructions
Cue Up The Episode!
Make sure to listen to Mar's episode, Christmas in Alicante, while you make this recipe!
Make The Recipe
Roast and Grind Almonds
- Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C.
- Line a half-sheet baking pan with parchment paper. Scatter the almonds one layer deep on paper.
- Roast for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the oven, open the oven door, and let it cool slowly.
- Once fully cooled, begin grinding in the food processor.
- After the food processor has reduced the almonds to a fine gravel texture, transfer batch by batch to a coffee grinder. The almonds should turn into a thick paste.
Traditional Method
- Mix everything in a bowl with a wooden spoon.
- Put it in a flat container. Cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper (it may stick at first) and let it rest for days/weeks until it dries (2-14 days depending on the consistency desired).*
- Once it is a little bit firm you can divide it into big portions to distribute.
- Use a spoon to scoop when softer or cut into bars once its harder.
Alternative Cooking Method (decreases overall recipe time)
- If cooking, mix and cook the sugar in the water once it is boiling.
- Keep moving this mixture until you can check that the sugar dissolves.
- Add the ground almond and mix everything.
- And, finally, when the mixture is cold enough to not cook the eggs, incorporate them in and mix again.
- Mix well and distribute it in containers to let dry/harden.
Notes
- This makes a HUGE amount of nougat. If this is your first attempt, I'd suggest making 1/3 of the recipe. This is a natural division of the recipe, as it allows you to use one egg and one egg yolk.
- *1 cup of water is traditional, but you may use less in order to speed up the hardening process and reduce the resting time.
- *Traditionally, the nougat is NOT refrigerated. But you may choose to refrigerate during the resting time if that is your preference as the recipe does contain raw eggs.
- Make sure to listen to Mar's episode, Christmas in Alicante, while you make this recipe!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Christmas, Dessert
- Cuisine: Spanish
Nutrition
- Calories: 158
- Sugar: 9
- Sodium: 5
- Fat: 11
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 13
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 22
Would love to hear from you!