Turron De Dona Pepa

realbirdlady's Note:

Turron is a nougat candy, known for at least 500 years in Spain. It probably originated with the Moors, but came to be typically eaten as a Christmas treat. The Spaniards carried it to their colonies, where many local variations developed. Turron de Dona Pepa is associated with the city of Lima and its Senor de los Milagros (Lord of Miracles) festival. Dona Pepa was an african slave who received the recipe in a dream after being cured of paralysis in her arms. This version is from yanuq.com.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 16

Yield: 1.0 9x9 tur ...

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter , cold
• 3 egg yolks
• 5 tablespoons anise water
• 1 lb dark brown sugar (chancaca)
• ½ cup water
• ¼ orange rind (only orange part)
• 6 cloves

Directions:

1. In a boiler, bring chancaca, water, orange rind and cloves to boil. Simmer for 40 minutes until mixture forms a soft ball when dropped in cold water or reaches 238° F (113° C) on a candy thermometer. Cool.
2. While the syrup is cooking, preheat oven to 350°F.
3. In a large bowl, mix salt into flour.
4. Cut butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender.
5. Add egg yolks and aniseed water. Knead dough until soft.
6. Take small portions of dough and roll, on a ligtly floured surface, into sticks about 1/2 x 9 inches.
7. Transfer sticks to a greased baking sheet, placing them 1 inch apart.
8. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool.
9. Place sticks on a serving dish, one beside the other, in one layer. Pour cold syrup on top. Place a second layer of sticks crosswise and pour syrup. Repeat a third layer and cover with the rest of syrup.
10. Decorate with sprinkles or dragees if desired.