Recipe for tender homemade nougat. How to cook nougat at home - recipes The most famous varieties of nougat
How much does Nougat cost (average price per 1 kg)?
Moscow and Moscow region.
It is known that nougat came not only to us, but also to the cuisines of other European countries from the East. This confectionery product belongs to the category of exquisite oriental sweet dishes, in which the main component that distinguishes this dessert from others is various types of nuts, with the exception of peanuts.
The traditional recipe for making nougat, which can easily be considered one of the simplest, is as follows. Crushed or whole nuts are laid out in a mold approximately 1-2 cm high and filled with thick sugar syrup or honey. If the delicacy is not elastic enough and too liquid, finely ground nuts are added.
After the nougat has hardened, the layer is cut into small pieces or shaped into various figures. After this, the finished products are rolled in powdered sugar, which is often mixed with flour. To prevent nougat from sticking to the mold, it is pre-covered. cling film or oiled paper.
Nougat can be eaten not only as an independent sweet dish, but also a lot of interesting and unusual dishes can be prepared based on it. So, for example, these can be multi-layer cakes, fragrant desserts, baking and much more. In addition, industrial sweets that contain nougat include chocolate, candies, cookies, waffles, toast, and cakes.
Composition of nougat
Nougat must contain following ingredients: natural honey, egg white and nuts. The last component is mainly roasted almonds, hazelnuts, Walnut, but by no means peanuts.
The consistency of the finished product can vary greatly - from soft and light to thick and hard. This directly depends on the composition of the nougat. In addition, lemon zest, cinnamon, vanilla, candied fruits, dried fruits or chocolate are often added during production to give the product additional aroma and flavor.
Currently, there are two main varieties of nougat - brown and white. Brown nougat (harder and crunchier) is made from caramelized sugar, while white nougat, which is fluffy and light, uses egg whites.
The benefits of nougat
Being a high-calorie dish, nougat is especially valuable for those people who are actively involved in physical labor, in particular athletes. By the way, the calorie content of nougat varies depending on its composition, but generally it is approximately 404 kcal per 100 grams. The benefits of nougat lie in the variety of components provided for in the manufacturing recipe.
Thus, sweets and nuts have a beneficial effect on brain activity, while natural honey and dried fruits in this product contain a lot of vitamins and other substances beneficial to human health. In addition, in combination with glucose, nuts are considered the strongest natural aphrodisiac, which has a positive effect on both men and women.
Chocolate, which began to be added to this sweet much later, also enhances the benefits of nougat, as it not only gives a special refined taste to this dessert, but also improves mood and promotes the production of serotonin, the hormone of joy.
Dear readers, I welcome you to the website In My House! Almost everyone has heard about nougat, but it can hardly be called a very common dessert. However, real sweet tooths are, of course, familiar with it, because it is difficult to imagine a sweeter dish than this delicacy.
How many people know that nougat is not at all difficult to prepare yourself? This is exactly what my article will be about. But first, I propose to find out what nougat is, where it comes from, what it is made from and what varieties it has.
Nougat - what is it?
The name of this delicacy comes from the Latin “nux”, which means nut. Not surprising, since nuts are one of the main ingredients of nougat, along with sugar and proteins.
The composition of the dessert often varies: instead of sugar, honey is added, and the type of nut varies depending on the tradition of each individual area - it can be almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts.
The consistency of the delicacy also depends on the recipe. Nougat can be either soft, quickly melting in the mouth, or hard, with a viscous texture.
There is a white and dark variety of this sweet. The dark shade is given to it by sugar, brought to the state of caramel, and cocoa. White nougat owes its hue to beaten egg whites.
To add a variety of flavors, candied fruits, chocolate, cinnamon or vanilla are added to the sugar and protein mixture, and nougat is eaten as an independent dessert or added as a filling to candies.
There are many legends surrounding the origin of this dessert. The oldest recipes for white nougat were discovered in Baghdad, in books dating back to the 10th century. This delicacy is also mentioned in the ancient chronicles of Bukhara and Syria. From there, with trade caravans, it came to Europe.
Nowadays, this sweetness is an important part of the European Christmas menu.
The most famous varieties of nougat
Each country carefully preserves its traditional secrets preparing delicacies.
Spain
Spanish turron is made according to old recipes with roasted almonds, sugar, honey and egg white.
Italy
Italian torrone contains the same basic ingredients, plus vanilla or citrus flavoring, and is often wrapped in two thin sheets of rice paper.
The center of torrone production is the city of Cremona in northern Italy, which annually hosts a famous festival dedicated to this delicacy.
The Venetian city of Cologna Veneta is famous for the production of a special nut variety of nougat called “mandorlato”, always based on honey, sugar, egg whites and almonds, which in Italian is called “mandorle”. It has a rich flavor and requires some effort to take a bite.
Austria
Viennese nougat, Wiener Nougat, has been produced since the beginning of the 19th century. This is an option that contains only sugar, cocoa butter and nuts and has a very soft consistency. For the Austrian version of the dessert, hazelnuts are most often used.
What are the benefits of nougat?
Due to such indicators, nougat is often used as a source of additional energy by those who do a lot of sports or other physical activities. Naturally, most children also like this sweetness. As a consolation for their parents, we can remember that nuts, which are so abundant in nougat, help improve brain function.
If the treat contains honey and dried fruits, then they slightly increase it beneficial features. Although even in this case, you should not consider this dessert as a remedy and consume it in large quantities. Due to its high sugar content, nougat is contraindicated for those who suffer from diabetes.
How to make nougat yourself
Now let's see how to prepare this ancient treat at home. I'll focus on the most traditional options With step by step photos, and in a separate article we will post a recipe for making nougat.
Nougat with nuts and candied fruits
To prepare you will need:
- 200 g sugar;
- 1 glass of boiled water;
- 100 g natural honey;
- 3 egg whites;
- 75 g nuts;
- 50 g candied fruits.
Mix sugar with water and place the resulting mixture on low heat. When the sugar dissolves in the water, add honey. Separately, beat the whites with a mixer and add syrup from honey, sugar and water. Lightly fry the peeled and chopped nut kernels in a frying pan. Then add nuts and candied fruits to the protein mixture and mix thoroughly. Place the prepared mixture on a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator.
The total calorie content of the dish per 100 g is 430 kcal. Proteins – 6.5 g, fats – 16.0 g, carbohydrates – 65.0 g.
For a better illustration, watch the video showing the process of preparing the dessert:
Dark chocolate nougat
This type of delicacy is suitable even for vegetarians, because this recipe none chicken eggs. And thanks to chocolate, the taste of the dessert becomes richer and more interesting.
You will need:
- 100 g sugar;
- half a glass of water;
- 50 g almonds;
- 100 g dark chocolate.
Dissolve sugar and water over low heat until syrup is obtained. Fry the nuts a little. Mix dark chocolate until liquid using water bath. Then mix all the ingredients, place on a baking sheet covered with parchment or foil, and refrigerate until completely set.
The total calorie content of the dish per 100 g is 490 kcal. Proteins – 9.5 g, fats – 32.0 g, carbohydrates – 40.0 g.
White chocolate nougat
White chocolate gives the dessert a unique taste and makes the delicacy even sweeter, so this type of nougat is sure to please true gourmets.
Take the following ingredients:
- 100 g sugar;
- half a glass of water;
- 50 g white chocolate;
- 2 egg whites.
Dissolve sugar and water over low heat until syrup is obtained. Melt separately White chocolate. Beat the egg whites and mix all the ingredients together. Then pour the resulting mixture into a prepared baking sheet, which can be placed in the refrigerator or any other cool place for the mixture to harden.
The total calorie content of the dish per 100 g is 490 kcal. Proteins – 9.5 g, fats – 30.0 g, carbohydrates – 50.0 g.
Cocoa nougat in chocolate glaze
Homemade dessert with cocoa, covered chocolate icing, is prepared as follows.
For the chocolate base you need:
- 100 g dark chocolate: it is better to choose varieties containing at least 80% cocoa;
- 50 g butter.
For the top layer:
- 400 ml 20% cream;
- 5 tablespoons peanut butter;
- 2 tablespoons butter;
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder;
- 1 tablespoon sugar.
For the glaze:
- 100 g chocolate;
- 50 g butter.
Melt the chocolate with butter and place in the refrigerator in a 20x10 cm mold. Heat the cream, add peanut butter, butter, cocoa and sugar. Mix all products thoroughly. When the mixture has cooled, place it on top of the already prepared chocolate mass and place it in the refrigerator again.
Prepare a glaze of chocolate and butter and pour it over the nougat.
The total calorie content of the dish per 100 g is 450 kcal. Proteins – 6.5 g, fats – 20.0 g, carbohydrates – 76.0 g.
Peanut nougat
It is believed that any nut except peanuts can be used in traditional nougat. If you want to experiment in the kitchen, we offer a recipe with this “forbidden” ingredient.
You will need:
- 1.5 cups peanuts;
- 130 ml water;
- 350 g sugar;
- 120 g honey;
- 3 squirrels;
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
Combine water, sugar and honey, bring them over low heat until a syrup forms. Beat the whites into a thick foam and add to it lemon juice.
Peel the peanuts, chop and lightly fry. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, place the resulting mass in a mold or baking sheet, level and refrigerate until completely cool.
The total calorie content of the dish per 100 g is 424 kcal. Proteins – 10.0 g, fats – 13.0 g, carbohydrates – 66.0 g.
Conclusion
So, we found out what kind of delicacy nougat is, and we learned that it is not at all difficult to make it yourself. If you cannot live a day without dessert, then you will definitely like this dessert. Well, if you prefer more dietary dishes, then nougat will help you in moments when you really want something sweet, because a small piece of this dish is enough to get the necessary dose of sugar.
Tell us in the comments if you like nougat, and if so, what kind do you prefer?
Cooking soft nougat with peanuts is a fairly quick process and there are no difficulties in it. We used peanuts, but an equivalent substitute for any other nuts or dried fruits is welcome.
There are many ways to prepare the delicacy, but this recipe has been tested more than once and the result is guaranteed. To form the nougat you will need disposable foil molds.
Ingredients:
- Sugar - 400 g.
- Egg category C1 (white only) - 2 pcs.
- Peanuts - 200 g.
- Water - 50 ml.
- Honey - 130 g.
Making nougat with peanuts
Lightly fry the peanuts (we already have them blanched, so we skip the cleaning step). Separate the whites of two eggs and place them in a convenient bowl. Place sugar, honey, water in a saucepan. Set it to maximum heat.
Using a wooden spoon, constantly stir the sweet mass while heating. We wait for it to boil and wait exactly 10 minutes (at least). The process is quite active (constant bubbling is observed), the caramel gradually changes color to a darker one. We stir without stopping.
After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to low. Beat the egg whites until stable peaks form (add a little salt to achieve results quickly).
Hold the mixer with one hand, and with the other, very carefully pour the hot caramel in a thin stream into the protein foam. The task of the mixer at this stage is to thoroughly mix the ingredients. The mass noticeably begins to thicken, the mixer copes with whipping with effort. As soon as the caramel in the saucepan is finished, turn off the device. We ended up with a very thick, stretchy mass.
Add peanuts to the mixture.
Mix vigorously so that each nut is covered with nougat.
Grease the inner surface of the molds vegetable oil. Distribute the soft nougat into the molds and place in the refrigerator for 2–3 hours to harden.
After a couple of hours of cooling, we can easily remove the nougat from the mold.
Nougat cuts well with a knife. We cut it into cubes.
Place peanuts on a plate and spread into an even layer. Place in the microwave for 3 minutes, then remove the husks. After this, we begin to prepare the syrup by mixing honey, water and sugar. Set the resulting mixture to simmer over low heat, and as soon as it boils, continue cooking for another 10-14 minutes and turn off. I want to emphasize that, in principle, you can take any nuts. Grinding them or leaving them whole is a matter of taste.
Begin beating the egg whites with a mixer until foam forms. As soon as it appears, pour in lemon juice and add vanillin. After this, once the syrup is ready, we begin to add it. Pour in the syrup gradually, in a thin stream. As a result, you will get a thick mass that will need to be beaten for about 15 minutes.
And just now we add the prepared peanuts to our mixture. Mix the whole mass using a regular spoon. The mixture will be very thick, so extra effort will be required. Pour it in a small layer into any convenient form and put it in the freezer overnight. The nougat is ready, you can cut it into pieces. Bon appetit!
Nougat is a famous oriental sweet.
Cooking it is not only difficult, but somehow unusual. It is necessary for the sugar and honey to boil to a certain state. If you study different recipes nougat, it is clear that caramel for nougat can be made in two types - soft and hard. I cooked the caramel until I tested it into a soft ball. That's why my nougat didn't freeze. In the refrigerator it hardened to the point where it could be cut into pieces. But when room temperature it became soft and stretchy, and the cut pieces gradually fused into a single whole. If you cook the caramel until it forms a hard ball, then the nougat will turn out harder and more stable.
Nougat tastes very (VERY!) sweet. But it's great with strong black tea.
When eating, the honey taste and aroma is strongly felt. The consistency of nougat is very delicate, melting. And in this silky mass there are hard and aromatic nuts. The more nuts in nougat, the tastier it is.
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COMPOUND
0.5 cups of water (125g),
2 cups sugar (400g),
120g honey,
2 squirrels,
1 teaspoon lemon juice,
1~2 cups roasted nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachios)
If the caramel is boiled down to a soft ball, the nougat will be soft and sticky. If it reaches a hard ball, then the nougat will be drier and stronger.
While the caramel is cooking, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Add lemon juice before finishing beating.
When the caramel reaches the desired state, start beating the egg whites again at medium speed.
Immediately begin pouring the boiling caramel in a thin stream into the whipped egg whites under the rotating blades of the mixer.
Once all the caramel has been poured in, continue beating at medium to high speed. It is advisable to beat the mass until it cools to lukewarm. But since the mass is very thick, the mixer may burn out. If the mixer is weak, then you can beat in several approaches - beat for 1-2 minutes, then break for 1-2 minutes.
Lastly, pour the fried nuts into the resulting thick white mass and stir with a spoon. It is difficult to stir as the mixture is very thick and sticky.
Place baking paper in a mold with small sides and lightly grease it with refined vegetable oil or melted butter.
Place nougat in a mold about 2 centimeters thick.
Leave at room temperature for 1 to 6 hours, then put the pan in the refrigerator.
The mixture will harden in the refrigerator. It will feel sticky when touched, but your finger will remain clean.
