Turrón de Jijona

Step 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan). Spread 14 oz blanched almonds on a tray and toast for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring halfway, until evenly light gold right through (break one to check) and smelling nutty. Cool completely.

Step 2: Grind the almonds in a food processor in short bursts, scraping down often, for 4 to 6 minutes, until they pass the crumbly stage and form a soft, oily paste. Mix in 1 tsp lemon zest and ½ tsp ground cinnamon.

Step 3: Line a 20 x 10 cm loaf tin or a small rectangular box with baking paper, leaving an overhang.

Step 4: Put 5 ½ oz runny honey and 3 ½ oz caster sugar in a heavy pan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Boil, without stirring, until it reaches 250°F on a sugar thermometer, about 5 minutes; a drop in cold water forms a soft ball.

Step 5: Meanwhile whisk 1 egg white to soft peaks. Take the syrup off the heat and pour it slowly onto the egg white, whisking all the time, until thick and glossy.

Step 6: Return the mixture to the pan, add the almond paste and stir over a low heat with a wooden spoon for 8 to 10 minutes, until it comes together as a smooth, heavy paste that leaves the sides of the pan. Hot sugar burns badly, so stir with a long spoon and keep children away.

Step 7: Scrape into the tin, press flat, cover with baking paper and set a weight (a couple of tins of food) on top. Leave at cool room temperature for 48 hours before turning out and slicing. Wrapped, it keeps for a month.