Nougat
Recipe created by Chef Susheel
This no-bake recipe will be a superhit on your dessert menu!
Recipe Ingredients
Ingredient
Weight
Meringue:
| Egg whites, room temperature | 120 g |
| Cream of tartar or lemon juice (stabilizer) | 1 g |
| Sugar | 600 g |
| Water | 200 g |
| Corn syrup, or glucose | 170 g |
| Orange blossom or lavender honey | 400 g |
Nougat Mixture:
| Cocoa butter, melted (improve texture) | 20 g |
| Whole almonds | 240 g |
| Pistachio | 150 g |
| Candied orange peels, diced | 220 g |
| Dried apricot, chopped (optional) | 100 g |
| Crystallized ginger (optional) | 40 g |
| Wafer paper sheets | 50 g |
| Sugar-starch mixture | |
| Cornstarch | 30 g |
| Powdered sugar | 20 g |
| Nut Paste (Gianduja ) | 10 g |
Preparation
Meringue For The Nougat:
- Use a 7 qt (7L) Heavy Duty Mixer.
- Toast nuts for 10 min in a 350ºF oven; keep warm.
- Have a baking tray or mould ready before starting. Sides of the tray should be oiled and bottom covered with a glossy side down wafer paper sheet or some of the sifted sugar-starch mixture or covered with thinly crushed nuts. Avoid plastic wrap in direct contact with the hot nougat; it wont get off well.
- Have the sugar syrup and honey ready in 2 separate saucepan and cook the sugar syrup first.
- Meanwhile, beat the room temp egg whites and cream of tartar on medium low speed; Keeping egg whites on foamy stage.
- When temperature of the sugar syrup reaches 220ºF (120ºC); it should take 15 min, lower the flame to low and begin cooking the honey on high.
- When honey reaches 266ºF (130ºC), the meringue is still in its foamy stage or near soft peaks – set mixer speed to high, and pour the hot honey on thin stream against the side of the bowl – continue beating on high.
- In the meantime, the temperature of the sugar syrup should be at 293ºF (145ºC) firm-ball stage, pour syrup into the meringue lowering the speed to medium. This is where you are beating all the air and fluffy chewiness into the candy; continue to beat for 5 minutes more on medium high.
- Turn mixer off and swap the whisk with the paddle attachment.
- Add hot cocoa butter and warm Gianduja – Turn mixer back on and continue mixing for a minute.
- Add the warm nuts and mix to combine for a few seconds – do not over mix.
- Oil utensils and your fingertips as well. Transfer the sticky and still warm-hot nougat mixture in the prepared pan; go as fast as possible. It gets harder and harder as the mixture cools down. Shape into rectangle and top with another wafer paper (glossy side up) – use a rolling pin to smooth it out.
- Let cool for a few hours. Nougat can be chilled as well. If chilled though, leave nougat out for 30 min to soften before cutting, it should be quite firm but not rock hard.
Tips
- Tips For Cooking Sugar Syrup & Honey: If the required temperature of the sugar is ready too soon, reduce the heat and lower down its temperature by dropping a couple of teaspoons of cool water into the hot syrup – stay in control until it goes back up to the right temperature.
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Nougat Assembly: Yields a 13”x9”x1” (32x23x2.5cm) baking tray / 3.3 lb. (1500g). 22 each 4.5”x1” (11.25x2.5cm) bars. To unmold nougat, run an oiled spatula all over the edges and flip. Use a good serrated knife to trim off edges. Divide nougat slab in half lengthwise and each half into bars using some of the sugar-starch mixture as you go. Nougat can be wrapped in clear caramel, chocolate and candy wrappers or wax paper.
Like most confectioneries, nougat is best stored between 57/61ºF (14/16ºC) and very low humidity for months. Though, for household uses the refrigerator remains a good option during summer time and warm countries. Avoid humidity though. Just leave nougat out for about 30 min or until it has soften a bit. Enjoy.
Nou-gat out of here and get going! <3
