Torrone Wafer Cookies Recipes

TORRONE (ITALIAN NUT AND NOUGAT CONFECTION)

Steps:

• Line an 8x11-inch baking dish with plastic wrap, allowing ends to hang over the sides. Place 1 sheet of 8x10 wafer paper in the bottom of the pan. Keep the roasted almonds and pistachios in a warm place until ready to add at the end. This makes it easier to mix them in.
• Pour honey into a heavy-bottomed pot. Add sugar. Mix and stir over low heat with a spatula, stirring constantly until mixture turns from grainy to silky and smooth, about 30 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
• Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl; add a pinch of salt. Whisk until whites form soft peaks, 3 to 4 minutes. Place pot back on low heat. Gradually whisk about a quarter of the whipped egg whites into the honey/sugar mixture; whisk in the remaining egg whites in 3 more batches.
• Continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula until mixture turns a brighter white and a ribbon of the mixture does not immediately incorporate back into the rest of the mixture and stays intact on the surface for a while. This will take about 40 minutes. You can add a few drops of the mixture into a small bowl of ice cold water to test the consistency; ideally it should feel like soft clay.
• Whisk in vanilla and lemon zest. Add warm almonds and pistachios and stir to incorporate evenly.
• Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Even out as best you can with a clean oiled spatula. Top with 2nd sheet of wafer paper, shiny side up. Cover with plastic wrap and press down evenly, tamping mixture down gently but firmly. Remove top layer of plastic.
• Allow torrone to sit at room temperature until cool, firm, and ready to cut, 1 or 2 hours. Lift torrone from baking dish with the edges of the bottom layer of plastic wrap. Invert and remove plastic from the bottom. If the plastic wrap is difficult to remove from the edges of the torrone, you can trim off the edges.
• Cut torrone into 1-inch squares using a sharp serrated knife.

PISTACHIO-HONEY TORRONE

Steps:

• Piece together wafer paper, without overlapping, to fit bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, and set aside. Liberally sprinkle a clean surface with cornstarch. Pour egg whites into bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, combine honey and granulated sugar. Place over medium heat; cook until mixture just begins to simmer, about 4 minutes. Clip a candy thermometer onto the side of saucepan; continue to heat, stirring occasionally.
• Beat whites until stiff peaks form; add confectioners' sugar, and beat until combined. When thermometer registers 315 degrees, remove honey mixture from heat. Temperature will rise to 320 degrees. Stir until temperature drops to 300 degrees, 1 to 2 minutes. With mixer running, slowly pour honey mixture into egg-white mixture (at this point, whites will double in volume; let stand a few seconds; volume will return to normal). Beat until mixture thickens and begins to stick to beaters; fold in the nuts.
• Pour mixture onto cornstarch-covered surface; knead about 5 turns. Stretch and roll to fit pan; place mixture in pan. Cover with another layer of wafer paper; let cool on wire rack. Cut into slices while still warm; store in airtight container, with parchment between layers, for up to 2 weeks.

TORRONE WAFER COOKIES

Steps:

• Roast the almonds in a preheated 375 F oven for approximately 10 minutes (do not burn).
• Melt butter and marshmallows together in a large pot. Once the marshmallows have melted, add the chocolate chips and stir until melted. As soon as the chocolate mixture is melted, stir in the roasted almonds.
• Quickly spread the chocolate mixture on the wafer using a large buttered spoon. Once even, place the second wafer on top. Place something heavy on top of the wafer, and let sit for several hours to set. Cut diagonally into small cookies.

VANILLA WAFER COOKIES THAT ARE BETTER THAN STOREBOUGHT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat butter and sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla extract. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix the dry ingredients thoroughly into butter mixture. Drop cookies about 2 inches apart, 1 teaspoon at a time, onto ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges of cookies are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool cookies on wire racks.

CHOCOLATE TORRONE

Steps:

• *Note:Ostia wafers are very thin sheet-like pieces of unleavened wheat bread.
• Ostia may be found in some Italian deli's, Italian import stores, or candy making supply shops.
• Line two or three 6 x 8-inch loaf pans with wafer, and set aside.
• Place honey on top of a double boiler over boiling water.
• Stir constantly, until honey caramelizes (approx 45 min to 1 hr).
• In a small saucepan, combine 2 Tablespoons water and 1 cup sugar, let mixture boil slowly until caramelized.
• Beat egg whites until stiff.
• Add stiff egg whites to honey a little at a time, mixing well.
• Add caramelized sugar mixture, and mix well.
• Combine cocoa, 2 Tablespoons water and 1 Tablespoon sugar in a small saucepan, and cook until the mixture is creamy.
• Add the cocoa mixture and nuts to the egg white mixture, mixing well.
• Pour the torrone mixture into wafer lined pans (about 2 inches deep).
• Top mixture with another piece of wafer (cut to fit), lightly pressing it onto the surface, making sure there are no air bubbles under the wafer.
• Allow to cool.
• When cool, remove from pans (If using waxed paper under the wafer of the torrone, peel off the waxed paper before slicing).
• Cut each pan into 2 long rectangular pieces.
• Wrap each piece tightly in waxed paper for storage.
• To serve, cut each rectangular piece into 1/4-inch slices.
• Note: The longer torrone is stored, the harder/firmer it gets.

PISTACHIO TORRONE

Steps:

• Oil baking pan, then line bottom and sides with pieces of edible wafer paper, trimming it to fit.
• Heat honey, sugar, and water in a 5-quart heavy pot over low heat, stirring, until sugar has dissolved, then bring to a boil over medium heat, without stirring, washing any sugar crystals down side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Put thermometer into syrup and continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until it registers 310 to 315°F (upper end of hard-crack stage).
• When thermometer reaches 300°F, start beating egg whites with salt in mixer, beating until they hold soft peaks. Remove syrup from heat and let stand until bubbles dissipate.
• With mixer at low speed, slowly pour hot syrup into whites in a thin stream down side of bowl. Increase speed to high and beat until mixture has cooled to warm (mixture will rise, then fall), about 20 minutes. Add flower water and almond extract and beat 1 minute more. Stir in pistachios.
• Sprinkle a work surface with cornstarch (1 tablespoon), then spoon torrone mixture onto cornstarch and gently knead a few times with hands dipped in cornstarch.
• Pat torrone mixture into baking pan and top with a square of wafer paper, trimming to fit. Let stand at room temperature at least 8 hours.
• Run a sharp thin knife around edges of pan, then invert torrone onto a cutting board. Leaving wafer paper on, trim ends and cut torrone into 1-inch-wide strips. Wrap each torrone strip in parchment paper. (If desired, cut each strip into 2-inch rectangles.)