Homemade Nougat Candy Food

NOUGAT MONTILIMAR

Steps:

• Toast the almonds and pistachios at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes on a baking sheet.
• Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a saucepan and cook to 330 degrees F. When the sugar reaches 265 degrees F, start to heat the honey in a separate pan and bring it to a low boil.
• Simultaneously, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks with an electric mixer, being careful not to overwhisk. With the mixer still on high, gradually add the honey, pouring it down the side of the bowl. Continue to whisk. When the sugar reaches 330 degrees F, pour it over the honey meringue. Mix for 5 minutes at medium speed. Switch to the paddle and continue mixing for another 5 minutes. Using a spatula, incorporate the warm nuts. This will be sticky. Apply cooking spray to parchment lined sheet pan. Pour the nougat onto the parchment paper and flatten or spread to 3/4-inch thick with cornstarch-dusted hands or rolling pin. Rest overnight at room temperature. Cut to desired sized pieces and dip half in chocolate or drizzle chocolate over the top.
• How to Temper Chocolate(From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make At Home by Jacques Torres):
• Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted, it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). There are a variety of ways to temper.
• One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. (The temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees F, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. It will retain its shape even when mostly melted. White and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. Use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. Usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. It is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees F. At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess.
• A simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.

HOMEMADE NOUGAT CANDY

Steps:

• Prepare a 9 inch x 13 inch pan by lining with parchment paper.
• In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt together butter, marshmallows and baking chips, stirring often until smooth. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for 2 minutes.
• Stir in gumdrops. Spread on parchment lined 9 x 13 - inch pan. (A piece of lightly greased parchment paper or silicone spatula help to press down and level out the candy.)
• Cool completely by chilling overnight in refrigerator. Cut into squares using a very sharp knife.
• Can be stored in refrigerator or frozen.

WHITE CHOCOLATE NOUGAT

Steps:

• In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt chips on high in 30 second intervals, stirring until melted. Cool 5 minutes. Stir in all ingredients (mixture may look oily).
• Divide mixture in half. On separate wax paper sheets, for into two 16-inch long logs with 1/4 inch diameter.
• Refrigerate until firm about 2 hours. Cut into 1 inch pieces.
• Wrap in colored plastic wrap, cellophane, or waxed paper.

TORRONE (ITALIAN NUT AND NOUGAT CONFECTION)

Steps:

• Line an 8x11-inch baking dish with plastic wrap, allowing ends to hang over the sides. Place 1 sheet of 8x10 wafer paper in the bottom of the pan. Keep the roasted almonds and pistachios in a warm place until ready to add at the end. This makes it easier to mix them in.
• Pour honey into a heavy-bottomed pot. Add sugar. Mix and stir over low heat with a spatula, stirring constantly until mixture turns from grainy to silky and smooth, about 30 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
• Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl; add a pinch of salt. Whisk until whites form soft peaks, 3 to 4 minutes. Place pot back on low heat. Gradually whisk about a quarter of the whipped egg whites into the honey/sugar mixture; whisk in the remaining egg whites in 3 more batches.
• Continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula until mixture turns a brighter white and a ribbon of the mixture does not immediately incorporate back into the rest of the mixture and stays intact on the surface for a while. This will take about 40 minutes. You can add a few drops of the mixture into a small bowl of ice cold water to test the consistency; ideally it should feel like soft clay.
• Whisk in vanilla and lemon zest. Add warm almonds and pistachios and stir to incorporate evenly.
• Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Even out as best you can with a clean oiled spatula. Top with 2nd sheet of wafer paper, shiny side up. Cover with plastic wrap and press down evenly, tamping mixture down gently but firmly. Remove top layer of plastic.
• Allow torrone to sit at room temperature until cool, firm, and ready to cut, 1 or 2 hours. Lift torrone from baking dish with the edges of the bottom layer of plastic wrap. Invert and remove plastic from the bottom. If the plastic wrap is difficult to remove from the edges of the torrone, you can trim off the edges.
• Cut torrone into 1-inch squares using a sharp serrated knife.

HEALTHY HOMEMADE NOUGAT CANDY BARS (AKA 3 MUSKETEERZ)

Steps:

• Spray two 8" brownie pans with cooking spray and line parchment paper both ways.
• In a medium-sized saucepan (I used a 2-quart pan), stir together the erythritol, agave, water, and salt, until evenly mixed. Place over medium-high heat and add a candy thermometer to the pot. Cook without stirring until it reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit. While this is on the stove, put the egg whites in stand mixer bowl with whisk attachment. When the stovetop mixture reaches 260 degrees, start beating the egg whites on medium/high until stiff peaks form. When the temperature reaches 280 degrees, remove the pan from the heat.
• Increase the mixer speed to high and VERY SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY drizzle the hot syrup into the whipping egg whites in a thin and steady stream. Beat until very thick and glossy (~8 minutes). In the last minute, add the vanilla paste.
• Scoop the mixture into both brownie pans, trying to make them as even as possible. Spread the mixture out using an offset spatula. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of each pan of nought. Press down with your hands to make sure it's flat and even. Let the nougat sit at room temperature overnight.
• The next day, with a very sharp knife, slice each pan's worth of nougat into 6 long strips. This nougat is fragile and sticky, so don't be too rough when slicing, and clean the knife off after every slice. Refrigerate the nougat uncovered overnight.
• The next day, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in a large, shallow dish. Coat the nougat, one slice at a time, in the melted chocolate. Use 2 forks to transfer, dip, flip over, and remove the nougat from the chocolate.
• Chill until the chocolate hardens, then serve and enjoy!

CLASSIC NOUGAT

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Scatter the nuts over a baking tray and toast in the oven for 10 mins, then set aside (they don't need to cool). Cut the two pieces of rice paper to fit a 20 x 20cm square tin. Line the tin with one sheet of rice paper, brush the sides of the tin with oil, then dust the tin with icing sugar.
• Put the honey into a saucepan, then in another saucepan tip in the sugar, glucose and 100ml of water. Put the egg whites in the very clean bowl of a tabletop mixer with a whisk attachment and whisk on a low speed. Heat and boil the honey until it reaches 121C on a digital cooking thermometer, then straightaway pour the honey over the egg whites and set the speed to medium. While the whites and honey are whisking, bring the sugar and water to the boil and keep boiling until the syrup reaches 145C exactly on a digital cooking thermometer. Pour the hot syrup in a slow, steady stream into the beating egg white mixture. Continue beating for about 10 mins until you have a thick, glossy, firm meringue. It's hard to over-whisk at this stage but easy to under-whisk, so keep going until the meringue looks like sticky chewing gum.
• Use a spatula to stir though the nuts (which should still be warm), the vanilla extract and a small pinch of salt. Scrape the mixture into the lined tin, then smooth over to spread the mixture out evenly (if you have an offset spatula, now is the time to use it). Finally, top with the remaining sheet of rice paper and press down. Leave the nougat to set for at least 2 hrs or overnight.
• To turn out and portion, use a spatula to loosen the edges of the nougat away from the tin, then invert the tin on to a clean board and use a sharp serated, hot knife to portion into bars or squares. The nougat will keep, stored in an airtight container, for up to a month.

EASY CHRISTMAS GUMDROP NOUGAT CANDY

Steps:

• Prepare an 8×8 square baking dish by lining it with parchment paper.
• Cut the gumdrops in half. Set aside.
• Melt the butter, white chocolate chips and marshmallows together over indirect medium heat. To do this I create a double boiler by putting a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water (making sure that the bowl and pan fit together snug). This ensures that the mixture doesn't burn.
• Continuously stir the mixture until it is smooth and melted together, making sure not to cook the mixture...the goal is to just melt, not cook or boil.
• Remove from heat.
• Let cool for about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the gumdrops. Mix well.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
• The mixture will be very sticky, so I use a lightly greased piece of parchment paper or wax paper to help spread and pat the mixture down into the pan.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting, overnight is best.
• Slice into 60 bite sized pieces.
• To store the candies, use parchment paper between layers so the candies don't stick together.
• Enjoy this nougat recipe!

CHRISTMAS NOUGAT

Steps:

• Prepare either a 9x13 baking pan for a thinner layer of nougat or an 8x8 baking pan for taller nougat squares. Line your baking pan with parchment paper.
• For either method, microwave or stovetop, it is best to melt the white chocolate with the butter before adding marshmallows.
• Microwave: In a large microwave-safe bowl combine the white chocolate chips and butter. Microwave for 1 minute on high, then stir. Continue heating in 30-second increments and stirring between each heating. Repeat until the milk chocolate is melted. Add the marshmallows and heat in 30-second increments, stirring each time until you can fully combine the marshmallows and melted white chocolate.
• Stovetop (Double Boiler): Use a large glass mixing bowl that will safely set atop your saucepan. Combine the white chocolate chips and butter. Bring a saucepan with about an inch of water to a low boil and place the bowl with the butter and white chocolate chips on top of the saucepan. Heat the white chocolate chips until fully melted. Add the marshmallows in 2-3 portions so that it melts easier with this method. Stir the marshmallows and cook until fully melted before adding the next portion of marshmallows. Continue until fully combined then remove from heat.
• Set the bowl with the nougat base aside for 2-3 minutes to cool before adding the gumdrops. *You can cut the gumdrops into smaller chunks if desired.
• Add the gumdrops and fold them into the nougat, then transfer it into your prepared baking pan. Use a lightly greased sheet of parchment paper or spatula to spread the nougat to the pan corners in an even layer.
• Transfer the nougat to your refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight to fully setup.

NOUGAT

Steps:

• Line the sides and base of a 4 by 6-inch baking pan with rice paper. Whisk the egg white in a heatproof bowl until stiff.
• Combine the sugar, glucose, honey and water in a small saucepan. Stir over very low heat until the mixture reaches the small crack stage, or 275 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. While whisking, drizzle the syrup into the egg white and continue whisking until glossy and beginning to stiffen.
• Stir in the almonds, and spread the mixture over the rice paper in the prepared pan, pressing it down well. Cover with another layer of rice paper, and place a light weight evenly over the top. Leave nougat until cold, and then cut into squares, wrap in waxed paper, and store in an airtight container.

CRUNCHY PEANUT CARAMEL NOUGAT CANDY BAR

Steps:

• Special equipment:.
• Heatproof spatula, candy thermometer.
• Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of overhang on each side.
• For the nougat:.
• Combine the peanut butter, vanilla and marshmallow cream in a large mixing bowl and reserve. Combine the sugar, cream and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir with a heatproof spatula until the sugar dissolves. Fit the saucepan with a candy thermometer and continue monitoring until the mixture starts to turn a light amber color and the temperature reaches 250 degrees F, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Once your nougat hits 250 degrees F, remove from the heat and add to the marshmallow mixture. Mix together to completely combine, but don't overwork. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Turn out the nougat into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a rubber spatula coated in nonstick spray. Place in the refrigerator to cool and get going on your next layer, the caramel.
• For the caramel filling:.
• Add the sugar, cream and corn syrup to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Carefully stir to combine with a heatproof spatula until the sugar dissolves and bring the mixture to a boil. Stop stirring and boil until the mixture begins to turn an amber color and reaches 250 degrees F, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, carefully, as it will foam up. (Adding the butter at the end will stop the cooking and keeps your caramel soft and chewy.) Keep stirring until it's all dissolved, and then stir in the peanuts. As tempting as it may be, never stick your finger in hot caramel to taste, sugar burns and hurts!
• Pour the caramel over the nougat and spread evenly with the spatula. Place in the refrigerator until the caramel is completely cool, 15 minutes.
• Transfer the candy to a cutting board. Cut lengthwise into thirds and then across in nine 1-inch rectangles, using a sharp knife that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. You can mark the caramel nougat with your knife as a guide before cutting out your bars.
• For the chocolate:.
• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and is smooth, 8 to10 minutes. Dip each candy piece and completely cover with chocolate on all sides, using two forks, allowing the excess to drip off. Place on a wire cooling rack for the excess to drip off while you dip all of the bars. Once the bars are dipped, transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow the chocolate to set in the fridge at least 20 minutes.
• Cook's Note:.
• Use a smaller baking dish for thicker candy bars.