French Nougat
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Just the other day, I told you about my totally awesome thrift find, of a candymaking book. As I mentioned in that post I was really excited to try the recipe for French Nougat. I actually learned a few interesting things while preparing to make this recipe.
- You can spell syrup with an “i” -> sirup (It’s spelled that way throughout the book.)
- I now know the difference between strained and regular honey.
- You can only get candied cherries at Christmas-time (apparently people only use them to make fruitcakes. YUCK!)
- I now know what angelica is. And, I couldn’t find that either.
I was at least lucky enough that both of the ingredients that I couldn’t find were ingredients that you stir in after you actually make the nougat. I also skipped the nuts in the version that I made, so that I can take the finished product and try it out in several different types of candies. I will most definately be dipping some of it in chocolate.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup strained honey
- 1/2 cup light corn sirup
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 egg whites
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup almonds, blanched, toasted and chopped
- 1/2 cup candied red cherries or angelica, cut into pieces
Instructions
- Mix honey, sirup, sugar, and water in a 2-quart saucepan.
- Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved.
- Increase heat and bring mixture to boiling.
- Cover saucepan and boil gently for 5 minutes.
- Uncover and put candy thermometer in place.
- Cook without stirring until the mixture reaches 270 degrees (soft-crack stage); washing crystals from the sides of pan occasionally.
- Remove from heat.
- In seperate bowl, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form.
- Beating constantly with an electric mixer, pour syrup into egg whites. Do not scrape the sides of saucepan.
- Stop beating as soon as ingredients are throughly blended.
- Stir in extracts, nuts and cherries.
- When mixture falls in chunks from spoon, trn immediately into a nougat frame lined with waxed paper.
- Press candy down evenly and firmly with hand.
- Cover top of candy with more waxed paper and cool.
- Set candy aside, tightly-covered, for at least 24 hours to ripen.
- Turn out on lightly buttered board or marble slab.
- If nougat sticks to pan, hold over low heat a few seconds.
- Cut using a sewing motion.
- Wrap in waxed paper.