Crunchy almond nougat
This recipe was a huge success, the nougat was gone in two days and irresistible, once you eat one piece you go for another one and so on, promising that this is your last one (but it is really not).
There are three basic versions of nougat. The most common nougat is made with egg whites, honey, sugar and roasted nuts and it has a soft texture. The second one and the one I made is called brown nougat (nougatine in French), it is made with sugar and toasted nuts and has a crunchy texture. The third one is called Viennese or German nougat which is made with chocolate and nuts (usually hazelnuts) and it is essentially a praline.
The recipe for almond nougat is really simple and easy to follow. The most important thing when making it is the caramelization of the sugar. The caramel must be taken to the dark amber stage to ensure that deliciously bitter taste. The almonds are toasted in the oven until lightly brown for the best flavor. I used whole almonds with skins on, but you can use already blanched and sliced almonds for more professional look of the nougat. The almonds can be substituted with different kinds of nuts or even sesame seeds.
Because everything tastes better with a little bit of chocolate, I tempered some milk chocolate and dipped in the pieces of nougat. It has all the right textures and flavors, crunchy and a little bitter with a sweet hint of chocolate and a strong flavor of the almonds shines thorough.
Cook to golden brown without stirring, stirring the mixture can cause crystallization of the sugar. Once golden remove from heat and add chopped almonds, butter, vanilla seeds and salt. Stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Scrape the nougatine onto a silpat or parchment paper. Take the rolling pin and gently roll the nougat into a thin sheet. Set aside until completely cold.
Take a piece of nougat and completely coat it with the tempered chocolate, take it out and place on the parchment paper to set.
You can sprinkle some sugar decorations over the chocolate for decoration. Here you can let your imagination free and decorate the nougat as you like.
There are three basic versions of nougat. The most common nougat is made with egg whites, honey, sugar and roasted nuts and it has a soft texture. The second one and the one I made is called brown nougat (nougatine in French), it is made with sugar and toasted nuts and has a crunchy texture. The third one is called Viennese or German nougat which is made with chocolate and nuts (usually hazelnuts) and it is essentially a praline.
The recipe for almond nougat is really simple and easy to follow. The most important thing when making it is the caramelization of the sugar. The caramel must be taken to the dark amber stage to ensure that deliciously bitter taste. The almonds are toasted in the oven until lightly brown for the best flavor. I used whole almonds with skins on, but you can use already blanched and sliced almonds for more professional look of the nougat. The almonds can be substituted with different kinds of nuts or even sesame seeds.
Because everything tastes better with a little bit of chocolate, I tempered some milk chocolate and dipped in the pieces of nougat. It has all the right textures and flavors, crunchy and a little bitter with a sweet hint of chocolate and a strong flavor of the almonds shines thorough.
Crunchy almond nougat
(Makes about 40 pieces)
Time:
Preparation: 20min
Baking: 5min
Cooking: 25min
Cooling: 1 hour
For the nougat:
- 270g white granulated sugar
- 90g water
- 120g almonds (I used whole)
- 1/2 vanilla bean (seeds)
- 20g butter
- a pinch of fleur de sel or kosher salt
For the coating:
- 300g milk chocolate
Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Place the almonds on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 5 minutes or until they start to turn brown. Take them out and set aside to cool. Chop cooled almonds into small pieces and set aside.
Place the sugar and water in a sauce pan or in a medium sized pot. Bring the sugar and water to a boil, once boiling brush away any sugar crystals that are stuck to the sides of a pan with a pastry brush dipped in water.
Cook to golden brown without stirring, stirring the mixture can cause crystallization of the sugar. Once golden remove from heat and add chopped almonds, butter, vanilla seeds and salt. Stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Scrape the nougatine onto a silpat or parchment paper. Take the rolling pin and gently roll the nougat into a thin sheet. Set aside until completely cold.
Break the nougat into small pieces, you can enjoy them like that or coat them with chocolate.
Making the chocolate coating:
Chop 225 grams of milk chocolate in medium sized pieces, put in the heat-proof bowl and set aside. Chop the remaining 75 grams of the chocolate in tiny pieces and set aside. Put some water in a pot and heat gently to a simmer. Place the bowl with 225 grams chocolate on top of the pot, the water should not touch the bowl. When the chocolate starts to melt, stir and check the temperature. Keep checking the temperature until it reaches 40-45°C (104-113°F). When the chocolate reaches the right temperature take the bowl of the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate. The temperature should drop. Stir the chocolate gently to cool until it reaches 27°C (81°F). This may take a while, depending on the room temperature. When the chocolate is cool enough place the bowl back on the pot of simmering water and heat back to 29-30°C (84-86°F).Take a piece of nougat and completely coat it with the tempered chocolate, take it out and place on the parchment paper to set.
You can sprinkle some sugar decorations over the chocolate for decoration. Here you can let your imagination free and decorate the nougat as you like.
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