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 of preparing the delicacy.
Spain
Spanish turron is made according to ancient 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 delicacy contains honey and dried fruits, then they slightly increase its beneficial properties. 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 will 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 egg 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 does not contain 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. Melt the dark chocolate until liquid using a double boiler. 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 the white chocolate separately. 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 with chocolate glaze, 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 mixture 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 lemon juice to it.
Peel the peanuts, chop and lightly fry. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, place the resulting mass in a mold or baking sheet, smooth 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?
Homemade nougat recipesThe holidays are coming, I’m collecting sweet recipes, and I don’t just want sweets for the holidays, just for tea - it’s always nice. So, nougat recipes - and a description of what it is.
A nougat recipe describes a confection that differs in consistency, color and taste. But they are united by a similar preparation process and composition. A nougat recipe necessarily includes sugar and nuts.
Nougat, recipe 1
90 g butter
65 g sugar
30 g nuts
65 g powdered sugar
25 g cocoa
Add sugar to 25 g of butter and heat. When the mixture turns light brown, add chopped nuts. Place the mixture on a plate greased with vegetable oil. Stir the remaining butter and add the rest of the ingredients. If the prepared mass crumbles, add a few drops of cognac. If the mass is too wet, add grated nuts. Form various figures from the resulting mass and roll them in grated nuts or sprinkle with cocoa.
Nougat, recipe 2
First you need to mix 25 g of butter with sugar and heat it up. When the mixture turns light brown, add chopped nuts.
Place the mixture on a plate greased with vegetable oil and smooth it out. After drying, grind. Beat the remaining butter - about 50-60 g, then add powdered sugar, about the same weight, cocoa and chopped nut mass, about 100 g. Mix. You can add a few drops of cognac.
Make candies of different shapes and roll them in grated nuts or sprinkle with cocoa.
How nougat was prepared in the East
In the countries of the Arab East, nougat was especially revered - this delicacy in ancient sources was called “the heavenly delight of the padishahs.”
And the “delight” was prepared like this: egg whites were beaten into thick sugar syrup, the mixture was boiled, candied fruits and nuts were poured into it, the viscous mass was thoroughly mixed, flavored with lemon zest or vanilla and immediately poured onto an oiled marble board.
The nougat was then leveled using wooden spatulas, allowed to harden and cut into small pieces, which were rolled in powdered sugar.
AND Italian recipeovleniya torrone (nougat)
400 g powdered sugar; 300 g honey; 700 g of shelled hazelnuts;
300 g creamy chocolate; 3 egg whites.
Place the honey in a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until a drop of honey solidifies in the cold water (when tested). Separately, boil the powdered sugar with a little water until it turns brownish.
Now add sugar to honey. Place this pan in another pan with hot water and continue steaming, adding well-beaten egg whites, peeled nuts (better if they are peeled), and melted chocolate (to melt it, add 50 grams of chocolate to 250 grams of chocolate). g sugar and 50 g water and put everything on low heat).
Do not cook the torrone for very long. Place on a marble board. Level with a buttered knife and cool. Ideally, you need to have ostie - thin, tissue paper-like plates. They are edible. They are wrapped around the top and bottom of the torrone. But you can do without them. When the torrone has cooled slightly, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut with a knife.
Addition: The finished torrone can be doused with chocolate glaze, whole or pre-cut into pieces.
Ancient Roman nougat (koshalva)
Italian recipe
The dish is called Torrone, it resembles koshalva (nougat) and is one of the traditional Christmas sweets.
Egg whites are whipped into a stiff foam, honey or sugar, toasted almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios, and sometimes a little candied fruit are added. Italian torrone is very similar to the Arabic delicacy, which includes honey and sesame nuts.
The official mention of torrone was registered in 1441. It was served at the wedding table of Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti, and here it received its name in honor of the tallest bell tower (Torrazzo) of the Duomo Cathedral of the city of Cremona.
Torrone was rightfully considered a royal dessert, although it could be easily prepared in any home. This is a holiday dish for rich and poor.
Currently, such nougat continues to be very popular throughout Italy. There are a huge number of variations on the theme. Torrone with chocolate glaze, rum, coffee, lemon and orange slices.
In the city of Cremona you will find the famous Torrone Marrakech, which includes cream, chocolate, butter, sugar, dates, dried figs, almonds and pink pepper.
Nougat ice cream
200 g of a mixture of any nuts (for example, walnuts, hazelnuts and peanuts), 100 g of dark chocolate, 100 g of various candied fruits (for example, cherries, papaya, pineapple), 3 egg yolks, 75 g of sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, 0.5 liters of heavy cream (33-35%).
Chop the nuts coarsely and lightly fry in a frying pan without oil. If you use peanuts in chocolate, then of course you don’t need to fry them.
Place the nuts in a bowl and add the chopped chocolate. It's better to chop it smaller. Finely chop the candied fruits; you can add the whole cherries. Mix. In a separate bowl, mix sugar and yolks. Beat with a mixer until creamy, add all the spices. Add a mixture of nuts, chocolate and candied fruits. Separately, beat the cream with a mixer until thick. Combine the cream and yolk mixture. Cover a mold (~1 liter capacity) evenly with cling film so that the ends hang down. Pour the mixture into the mold. Cover with film.
Place in the freezer for at least 12 hours. 20 minutes before serving, remove the dessert from the freezer. Turn over and remove from the mold. And leave for 4-5 minutes. Remove the film and leave for another 5 minutes. It is better to cut with a knife dipped in hot water, then the nougat will not break. The remaining dessert can be put back in the freezer; it can be stored for 3-4 weeks.
Therefore, it can be done in advance.
When serving, decorate with berries or fruits
Nougat with pistachios
Ingredients
:
3 squirrels
150 g peeled almonds
300 g peeled pistachios
300 g liquid honey
200 ml water
500 g granulated sugar
Preparation:
1. Fry pistachios and almonds in a dry frying pan.
2. Heat honey in a saucepan until ready. Check readiness. drop some honey into a cup of cold water. Ready honey turns into a soft ball in cold water.
3. Prepare sugar syrup. To do this, pour 200 ml of water into a saucepan or any pan. Heat the syrup until ready. A drop of the finished syrup in cold water should crystallize.
4. Beat the chilled whites with a mixer into a strong foam. Then, without stopping whisking, pour in honey in a thin stream, and then sugar syrup.
5. Beat the mixture until it becomes shiny and smooth.
6. Add nuts to the mixture and stir.
7. Place the nougat on aluminum foil in a 1 cm layer, let cool and cut into squares.
Sources:
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White nougat made with egg whites, sugar and honey - a budget option for preparing an appetizing oriental sweetness. With a minimum of products, it turns out delicious with nuts. Nougat turns out moderately soft and snow-white. You can fill it not only with pistachios, as in ours, but also with other nuts or even dried fruits or candied fruits. Today I will introduce you to a classic nougat recipe, where you will learn the technology step-by-step preparation of white nougat with nuts with photos. You can also add a special flavor to the dessert by adding cinnamon, lemon zest, vanilla, or liqueur to the protein mass. If you cut the cooked nougat into small pieces, you will get delicious candies for children at home that will not be harmful to the growing body. Making nougat at home is very easy!
Ingredients for making white nougat with nuts
Step-by-step preparation of white nougat with nuts with photos
Cut the finished nougat into portions and place on a plate. Store nougat at room temperature. Bon appetit!
Perhaps all those with a sweet tooth are ready to give a lot for a small piece of nougat, indecently tasty and sweet, with crunchy nuts. Does this dessert leave you indifferent too? Then let's find out how to make nougat at home. Believe me, it will turn out just as tasty, and there are no special difficulties in preparation. But you will have the opportunity to realize all your fantasies by adding your favorite type of nuts and even candied fruits. In addition, if hard store-bought nougat is too tough for you, you can create a more delicate and soft consistency. The dish is prepared quickly, and most of the time it takes is for it to freeze.
Did you know that nougat is not only a delicious sweet, but also an excellent source of energy for athletes? But for some people, increased sugar content will not benefit and may even cause harm, in particular, those who have diabetes.
How to make nougat at home
The main ingredients of the dessert are sugar or honey (or both), a little water and egg whites. There must be nuts, preferably toasted or dried. It doesn’t matter what kind, from almonds to walnuts and peanuts. Also, many people add dried fruits or candied fruits, which give an interesting taste and beautiful appearance to portioned nougat. Children really like sweets made with chocolate, white or black.
The only nuance worth paying attention to is the presence of a mixer in the kitchen, at least the simplest one. It is very difficult and time-consuming to beat the egg whites into a stiff foam by hand.
We bring to your attention two recipes for homemade nougat: classic white and dark chocolate.
White nut nougat with candied fruits
This option involves the simultaneous use of sugar and honey, so the dessert will be very sweet. You can choose nuts to your taste or make a mix (almonds, peanuts, walnuts). In any case, they will need to be fried and peeled. When buying candied fruits, you should also give preference to a multi-colored assortment. This way the nougat will turn out not only tasty, but also with beautiful colored splashes.
The dessert is prepared simply:
- Pour 2 tbsp into a non-stick saucepan. water, add 200 g of sugar. Mix well and simmer over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- At the end, add 100 g of honey to the syrup and mix.
- Separately, beat 3 egg whites until foamy. Gradually, pouring in a thin stream and continuing to beat, add hot syrup.
- Add nuts (about 75 g) and 50 g of candied fruits to the mixture.
That's all, all that remains is to place the nougat on a baking sheet covered with parchment and refrigerate. It will harden well in the refrigerator overnight.
Chocolate dark nougat
This simple recipe is suitable even if you don’t have a mixer at home, since there are no proteins among the ingredients. As always, the base is sugar and roasted nuts, better. The rich dark color will add sweetness to dark chocolate. First you need to make syrup from 100 g of sugar and 0.5 tbsp. water. Melt 100 g of chocolate in a water bath and combine it with syrup. Add nuts, mix and place on a baking sheet to set. The nougat will harden faster in the refrigerator.
Cooking chocolate-covered nougat at home - video
Nougat is a sweet nutty dessert that belongs to Turkish cuisine. There are many nougat recipes: you can use honey, cocoa and other ingredients.
Nougat recipe always includes nuts
Ingredients
Vegetable oil 1 tbsp. Water 50 milliliters Nuts 300 grams Sugar 400 grams Egg white 2 pieces) Honey 130 grams
- Number of servings: 5
- Preparation time: 30 minutes
- Cooking time: 2 minutes
Homemade nougat recipe
When preparing nougat, it is important to strictly adhere to all proportions so that it turns out. If everything is done correctly, the homemade version of this delicacy will be tastier and more natural than the store-bought version.
To prepare the dessert, use thick candied honey.
- Place water, honey and sugar in a saucepan and place it on high heat for 10 minutes. It is best to use a kitchen thermometer. The syrup temperature should reach 170°C.
- Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Do not turn off the mixer. Start pouring hot honey syrup into the whites in a thin stream. The mass will thicken quickly.
- Turn off the mixer, add nuts, stir.
- Grease the mold with vegetable oil. Place the workpiece into it and level it. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Remove the dough from the mold and cut into portioned squares with a sharp knife.
You can use any nuts, for example, regular peanuts. But the tastiest dessert will be made from a nut mix - almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, etc.
Homemade chocolate nougat recipe
If you prefer everything chocolate, try this recipe. For it you need:
- 600 g sugar;
- 320 g invert syrup;
- 2 squirrels;
- 100 g crushed nuts;
- 60 g cocoa;
- 30 g flour;
- 1.5 tbsp. water.
Cooking method:
- Mix sugar with water and boil. Add invert syrup to it and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Do a caramel test. To do this, drop a drop of the mixture onto a plate. The drop should harden but remain soft.
- Beat the whites until stiff peaks form. Pour 2/3 of the hot syrup into them. You need to add the syrup little by little and constantly beat the mixture with a mixer. The mixture should become fluffy and white.
- Cool the remaining syrup to 80°C. Pour it into the mixture and beat it for another 15 minutes.
- Lastly, add the nuts and sifted cocoa powder.
- Sprinkle the table with flour and transfer the workpiece onto it. When it has cooled, roll it out into a layer about 1.5 cm thick. Let it stand for 3-4 hours and cut into squares or rectangles.
The nougat will be quite soft and can be easily chewed.
Nougat does not have to be an independent delicacy. It can become part of another dessert. For example, nougat can be used as a layer for a cake. It's delicious and unusual.