Almond Torronfetta – Bar with Avola almonds

Torronfetta alle Mandorle, crumbly nougat bar with Avola-Pizzuta almonds

The Torronfetta alle Mandorle by D.Barbero is a 50 g nougat bar featuring Avola-Pizzuta-Gemella almonds from Sicily and lemon honey from the Sorrento peninsula. Crumbly and crunchy, in a slim bar packaging like a small chocolate bar.

Torronfetta alle Mandorle is the bar version of Piedmontese torrone from the Cioccolateria & Torroneria D.Barbero in Asti. Fresh egg whites, lemon honey from the Sorrento peninsula, and sugar are cooked for seven hours, then finished with peeled Avola-Pizzuta-Gemella almonds from Sicily and vanilla from Madagascar. 50 g, crunchy and crumbly, in flat bar packaging.

Crunchy, nutty, with a delicate lemon scent

Unlike the soft 100 g "morbido" version in a metal tin, this bar is "friabile" – crunchy and firm, as tradition demands. With every bite, the peeled Avola almonds crunch, followed by the crumbly honey mass dissolving into fine crystals. Nutty and mild thanks to the Pizzuta-Gemella, fresh and citrusy thanks to the lemon honey from Sorrento.

At D.Barbero, there are no artificial flavorings. A higher ratio of sugar to honey creates the crumbly texture, while fresh egg whites bind the mixture – allowing the almond and lemon honey to remain clearly distinct from one another.

A story from the fifties

The Torronfetta has a special history: at the end of the fifties, these bars were originally just the scraps left over from cutting the large torrone blocks. What began as a pragmatic way to avoid waste developed over the generations into a specialty of its own – today, Torronfette are produced specifically because their crunchy format is particularly appreciated by lovers of Piedmontese tradition.

The bar is made using the original process, just like the large torrone: seven hours of cooking time in historic steam kettles, scooped out of the kettles with beechwood paddles, pressed into beechwood molds, and cooled overnight on marble tables. It is then cut by hand into 50 g bars and packaged like a chocolate bar.

The Pizzuta d'Avola is a narrow, pointed almond from the southeastern coast of Sicily, peeled and hand-selected. It tastes less like marzipan than other almonds, offering a more refined flavor with a slightly bitter core – exactly the variety that can hold its own against a sweet honey mass without being overshadowed.

The family did not start in Asti, but in the village of Mombercelli in the hills nearby, where Filippo Barbero worked as a confectioner. The business did not move to the city until 1913, and then in 1953 to Via Brofferio, where it remains today. The almonds were added via trade – Puglia and Sicily have always supplied what does not grow in Piedmont.

For the Torronfetta, this means a very Piedmontese blend: northern craftsmanship, southern fruit. The lemon honey from the Sorrento peninsula adds a fine acidity that balances the sweetness of the almond.

Seven generations of confectionery from Asti

In 1883, Melchiorre Barbero received the license to commercially produce "Torroni e Noasetti" in Asti. Today, seven generations later and still family-owned, Giovanni Barbero and his nephew Davide Maddaleno continue to run the factory at Via Brofferio 84. The Avola-Pizzuta-Gemella almonds from Sicily are among the select raw materials the house has always used – a commitment to single-origin quality that you can taste in the Torronfetta.

You can find more specialties from D.Barbero with us – Giandujotti Fondente as dark hazelnut pralines with Tonda Gentile, Piedmontese hazelnut chocolate as a classic bar, or the Nocciolone-Gianduja bar with whole Tonda-Gentile hazelnuts.

The lemon only comes through in the finish

The lemon in the honey only emerges in the finish, once the flavor of the almond has faded. Whether with an espresso, a mid-morning cappuccino, or a glass of limoncello, Torronfetta alle Mandorle finds its occasion. Serve at room temperature so it crumbles beautifully when broken. 50 g, in slim bar packaging, perfect for sampling or as a small gift.