Soft Almond Torrone – with Avola almonds

Torrone Morbido alle Mandorle, the soft classic with Avola almonds

The Torrone Morbido alle Mandorle by D.Barbero is the soft version of the Piedmontese classic. Avola-Pizzula-Gemella almonds from Sicily, candied lemon peel, lemon honey from the Sorrento peninsula, and Madagascar vanilla—cooked for seven hours in historic steam kettles, packaged in an elegant 100g metal tin.

Torrone Morbido alle Mandorle is the soft version of the Piedmontese torrone from the Cioccolateria & Torroneria D.Barbero in Asti. Fresh egg whites, lemon honey from the Sorrento peninsula, and sugar are cooked for about seven hours; finally, peeled Avola-Pizzula-Gemella almonds from Sicily, candied lemon peel, and Madagascar vanilla are added. The Gran Cru tablet is delivered in a 100g metal tin.

Soft, nutty, with a hint of lemon

“Morbido” means soft in Italian—and that is exactly what distinguishes this 100g version from the firm “Friabile” version in the small 50g bar. The honey mixture melts delicately on the tongue, accompanied by the crunch of Avola almonds and a touch of lemon from the candied peel. It is milder than the hazelnut torrone, more Mediterranean thanks to the Sicilian almonds, and summery due to the Sorrento lemon honey.

There are no artificial flavorings at D.Barbero. Fresh egg white binds the mixture, allowing the almonds, lemon honey, and Madagascar vanilla to remain clearly distinguishable alongside one another.

Avola-Pizzula-Gemella, Italy's finest almond

The almonds for the Torrone Morbido come from Avola in the province of Syracuse on the southeast coast of Sicily. The Pizzula-Gemella variety is characterized by a slightly sweet aroma and is considered by Italian confectioners to be the finest almond in the country—its fruit is longer and slimmer than mass-produced Californian varieties and retains its recognizable shape in the torrone.

With Torrone Morbido, the consistency depends on the honey-to-sugar ratio: the more honey in the mixture, the softer the torrone. For the Morbido version, D.Barbero uses a generous portion of lemon honey from the Sorrento peninsula—a floral, slightly citrusy honey that gives the torrone its sweetness.

What primarily separates Morbido from Friabile is the time spent in the kettle. The crumbly torrone is cooked for about seven hours until it breaks into crystals. The soft version is cooked for about four hours—by cooking it for less time, more moisture remains in the mixture, and the torrone yields when bitten instead of shattering.

Both require fresh egg whites, not gelatin. This is the point that separates artisanal torrone from industrial versions, a fact Barbero emphasizes. Paired with a glass of Moscato d'Asti, the Morbido brings together two specialties from the same province.

Seven hours of patience in beechwood molds

Like all torrone specialties at D.Barbero, the Morbido is made according to an 1883 recipe. The mixture of egg white, honey, and sugar simmers for about seven hours in historic steam kettles before the almonds, lemon peel, and vanilla are added.

The warm mixture is scooped from the kettles with beechwood paddles and pressed into beechwood molds, which serve as natural thermal insulators. The torrone cools overnight on marble tables, and the next day it is hand-cut into 100g slices and placed into the characteristic metal tin.

In 1883, Melchiorre Barbero received the license to commercially produce "Torroni e Noasetti" in Asti. Today, seven generations later and still family-run, Giovanni Barbero and his nephew Davide Maddaleno continue to run the factory at Via Brofferio 84 in the heart of Asti's historic center—using the same recipes and the same dedication to single-origin ingredients.

In our shop, you will find more specialties from D.Barbero—the Pistacchiotti pralines with Bronte pistachios from Sicily, the Nocciolone Gianduja bar with whole Tonda Gentile hazelnuts, or the hazelnut chocolate from Piedmont as a classic bar.

Easiest to cut at room temperature

Torrone Morbido is just as fitting with a dessert coffee as it is with a glass of Passito di Pantelleria. Serve at room temperature, as this is when it is easiest to cut and the almond-lemon character unfolds most beautifully. The 100g slice in its metal tin makes for an elegant gift that won't break.