Crunchy Chocolate-Coated Torrone

Enjoy a sweet taste of Italian tradition with this torrone from Antica Torroneria Piemontese. Since 1885, this shop in the northwestern Piedmont region has been perfecting the art of candymaking, and this sweet nougat is the recipe that started it all. Delightfully crumbly, it’s fragrant with honey and roasted hazelnuts and rolled in dark chocolate for an extra layer of decadence.

A traditional Italian sweet that’s commonly enjoyed around Christmastime (although it’s delicious year-round!), torrone was likely first enjoyed by the ancient Romans. The creamy nougat made with nuts, honey, and egg whites can be found in different variations around the country—chewy or crunchy, studded with dried fruit and nuts of all kinds. Antica Torroneria Piemontese’s version is soft and crumbly, cooked in small batches and kneaded by master candymakers until the texture is just right. They work directly with local farmers to source the highest quality hazelnuts, which are roasted in-house to add just the right flavor to this naturally gluten-free treat.

Antica Torroneria Piemontese began when Giuseppe Sebaste, an apprentice in a pastry shop in Alba, decided to strike out on his own. Unable to afford the expensive almonds that were commonly used to make torrone, he turned to the hazelnuts that grew in abundance on the hillsides in his home in the Piedmont. It was an inspired moment that set the course for a sweet legacy. Today, the fifth-generation family members who run his company are committed to celebrating the precious Piemontese hazelnuts that started it all. Antica Torroneria Piemontese are masters of the confectionery arts with a single-minded dedication to excellency that guides everything they do.