The Sweetness of Nougat

March 26th has a sweetness to it. It is a day to celebrate a soft and chewy hard and crunchy candy known as nougat. Look inside of some candy bars and you will find a nougat center.

Nougat is made up of whipped egg whites, sugar or honey, roasted nuts and / or candied fruit. This sweet recipe has been around since ancient Rome. Nougat can be dined on alone or paired with chocolate or other sweet source. A favorite world wide some names of nougat your may be aware of are

• Italy === torrone
• Spain === turron
• United States === divinity

Divinity Center:

2 large egg whites

2½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup light corn syrup

½ cup water

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Caramel Coating:

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cup dark corn syrup

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch pieces

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup whipping (heavy) cream

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Pecan Coating:

3 cups pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped

Line one large baking sheet with parchment paper, wax paper, or a non-stick baking mat. Set aside.

Tip: Before beginning to make the candy, have all ingredients, equipment, and tools prepared and ready to use.

Divinity Center:

In a large bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Set aside. Tip: Use a stand mixer; a hand mixer is not likely to have enough power for the heavy texture of the candy.

In a medium-size heavy-bottomed pan, combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir gently to avoid splashing the mixture onto the sides of the pan. When the mixture begins to simmer, cover the pan tightly with a lid for 3 to 4 minutes to allow condensation to form and run down the inside of the pan to help wash away stray sugar crystals.

Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil, without stirring, until the syrup reaches a temperature of 260 degrees F, a hard ball stage, using a candy or instant read thermometer to gauge the temperature. While the syrup is cooking, wash away any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan by wiping upwards with a damp pastry brush so the sugar crystals don’t fall back into the syrup.

Meanwhile, as the temperature of the syrup reaches about 240 degrees F, continue beating the egg whites on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Stop the mixer, remove the whisk attachment and attach the paddle.

When the sugar mixture reaches 260 degrees F, Immediately remove pan from the heat. Tip: Lower the heat when the temperature reaches about 250 degrees to slow the cooking because at this point it will quickly reach 260 degrees. In addition, remove the pan from the heat just before the syrup reaches 260 degrees to prevent it from going over 260 degrees.

Immediately start pouring the hot sugar mixture, in a thin steady stream, into the beaten egg whites, while beating with the electric mixer at medium speed. This will cause the egg whites to double in volume. Be careful, the sugar is extremely hot and will burn your skin if you touch it.

Slowly add the vanilla. Increase the speed to high and continue beating at high speed until the candy cools and changes from a smooth shiny texture to a rough dull texture. This can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. As soon as the texture changes to the rough dull texture, stop beating and remove the bowl from the mixer.

Quickly pour the divinity onto the prepared pan. Let the divinity set until just it is cool enough that you can handle it.

Separate divinity into 4 equal portions and roll each portion into a log about 5 inches long. Wrap each log in parchment paper and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Keep refrigerated until ready to dip in the caramel coating.

Caramel Coating:

Line a baking pan with parchment paper or waxed paper. Set aside.

Placed toasted and chopped pecans in a shallow dish, such as a pie plate. Set aside.

In a large heavy-bottomed pan, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the butter is melted. Stir in the whipping cream. Stir gently to avoid splashing the mixture onto the sides of the pan. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil, stirring frequently and scraping the pan bottom to avoid scorching, until the mixture reaches a temperature of 250 degrees F, a firm ball stage, using a candy or instant read thermometer to gauge the temperature. Immediately remove pan from the heat. Tip: Lower the heat when the temperature reaches about 240 degrees to slow the cooking because at this point it will quickly reach 250 degrees.

Let the hot mixture sit about 30 seconds to let the bubbling subside. Working carefully to prevent splattering, add the vanilla and stir just until mixed.

Dipping and Nut Coating:

Remove the divinity rolls from the refrigerator. Place one roll at a time in the hot caramel; gently turn it over with a kitchen fork or wooden spoon. Use the fork or wooden spoon to lift the roll out of the caramel, letting excess caramel drip back into the pan. Be careful, the caramel is extremely hot and will burn your skin if you touch it. Immediately place the caramel covered roll into the pan of chopped pecans and roll until completely covered with the pecans. Lift the roll out of the pecans and place on the prepared pan. Refrigerate the rolls about 30 minutes for the caramel to become cool and firm.

Slice rolls into about ¼ inch slices.

There are also 3 basic kinds of nougats:

• white === egg whites and honey
• brown === no egg whites, a bit firmer and a bit crunchier
• German ==== chocolate nut praline

In the United States you can find nougat in many candy bars like 

3 Musketeers, Mars, Snickers, Milky Way, Zero, Salted Nut Rolls, Reese’s Fast Break, Reese’s Whipps, Baby Ruth, and other

Retreat recipe here

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