Spanish Honey Almond Nougat Food

SPANISH HONEY-ALMOND NOUGAT

Steps:

• Toast,peel and grind almonds and nuts till powder.
• Beat egg whites continuously until soft peaks come out (you know, it looks like snow ).
• Mix carefully egg whites with powdered nuts.
• In a suitable pan, heat honey and sugar stirring well with a wooden spatula until boiling and then add the nuts, egg mixture, dash of cinnamon and keep on stirring for 10 minutes until it's thick and all water has evaporated. Don't let it burn!.
• When done, place the resulting paste in rectangular moulds lined with waxed paper. Any rectangular cake pan is suitable only fill it up to 2cm. thick, so you may need some pans.
• Let the nougat bars cool at room temperature and then take them out of the moulds and store them wrapped in wax paper in any air tight container.
• These bars (which are called TURRON in Spanish) are soft, sweet and delicious. Cut them widthwise to serve them. Nothing to do with British nougats!.

HONEY & ALMOND SPANISH HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, whisk together cocoa, cornstarch and water.
• Whisk in the honey and gradually add milk, vanilla and almond extracts, whisking constantly over medium heat until smooth and slightly thickened.

ALMOND NOUGAT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add hazelnuts and whole almonds to cookie sheet. Toast until golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add sugar, corn syrup, honey, salt and water in a heavy bottomed saucepot (3 quart).
• Over medium heat, stir mixture until sugar dissolves.
• Continue cooking, without stirring until syrup reaches the hard ball stage, reading 252 degrees F. on a candy thermometer.
• Meanwhile, in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form.
• While mixer is on, in a thin steady stream, pour ¼ cup of hot syrup over egg whites, beating at high speed until mixture is stiff enough to hold its shape, about 5 minutes.
• Continue to cook the remaining syrup to brittle threads, reading 315 to 318 degrees F. on a candy thermometer.
• While mixer is on, in a thin steady stream, pour remaining hot syrup over egg whites, beating at high speed until mixture is stiff enough to hold its shape.
• Add vanilla extract, almond extract and butter, beating again for about 5 minutes.
• Stir in toasted nuts and ground almonds with a wooden spoon.
• Transfer mixture to a buttered 11 x 7 x 1 ¼-inch pan.
• Smooth the mixture evenly with a spatula.
• Refrigerate until firm.
• Loosen edges of candy with a knife. Invert nougat on cutting board.
• Cut into pieces. Store in airtight container.

ALMOND AND HONEY NOUGAT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius
• Place nuts in a roasting tray, dry roast for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 100 degrees C; keep nuts warm.
• Line a 20cm x 30cm x 3cm baking tray with baking paper. Place 2 sheets of rice paper in tray, covering the bottom of the tray.
• Place water, sugar and glucose in a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Cook to 150 degrees C (using candy thermometer).
• Place honey in second saucepan, bring to the boil over medium heat and cook to 135 degrees Celsius.
• A few minutes before honey reaches 135 degrees C, beat egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks in a large bowl with an electric mixer.
• While continuing to mix at low speed, drizzle in hot honey; add sugar syrup in the same manner. Continue to beat at low speed for about 5 minutes.
• Using a wooden spoon, stir in warm nuts.
• Pour nougat into prepared tray; flatten with a wet metal spoon.
• Cover with remaining sheets of rice paper. Refrigerate when cold.
• To cut when set, turn out onto chopping board and slice with a large knife.