Nougat

If you had to divide the world between the givers and the takers, Bruce is solidly in the former camp. He can't feed you enough, offer you enough, make you feel comfortable enough.

Me, too, but differently. I don't haul out the platters of food but I've got my own ways. Quieter. And you know what? Better two givers in a relationship than a giver and a taker. (Maybe also better two takers than a giver/taker set-up, although I don't know about that. Boy, I see those giver/taker relationships--and they're often rough. Very.)

I guess this nougat represents Bruce's giving side. He made it for friends' wedding. Hundreds of pieces, all sealed up and twisted shut in little wax paper wrappers. The candies were chewy, nutty, and delicious. Party favors, as it were, for after dinner. Just because he wanted to.

I've saved it for last in this month of candy-making on the blog. Mostly because it's the best.

First, generously butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, then lightly coat it with a dusting of cornstarch.

Want to go more over the top? (If you can believe it, you can--even when you're making nougat.) Then line the baking dish with edible rice paper, available at many gourmet supermarkets and certainly from almost all candy-supply outlets online. Or do what Bruce did: go to an East Indian market and buy sheets of dried pomegranate leather. More on this added extra in a bit.

Beat 2 large egg whites in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer and high speed until the whites have tripled in volume and light, until soft, droopy peaks can be formed in the mixture when the turned-off beaters are dipped into it.

Do you know the secret to high egg whites when beaten? Not a speck of water anywhere, a room temperature bowl, room temperature beaters, and room temperature egg whites, set out in the clean, dry bowl for about 15 minutes on the counter. (It's the opposite of whipped cream--which requires a chilled bowl, chilled beaters, and chilled cream. The beaten egg whites are a protein structure trapping air--so the protein molecules must be elongated, at room temperature, not chilled. By contrast, whipped cream is a fat structure trapping air--so the fat globules have to be stiff, not liquidy and warm, like your Uncle Fred after a holiday meal.)

Set the beaten egg whites aside. Now combine 2 1/2 cups granulated white sugar, 1 cup light corn syrup, and 1/3 cup honey in a medium saucepan. Set it over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Clip a candy thermometer to the inside of the pan and continue heating, stirring occasionally, until the mixture boils. Once it starts to bubble, stop stirring and leave the thing alone until the temperature reaches 275F.

Beat the egg whites on high speed for a couple seconds to incorporate any separation, then bean in the hot syrup in a slow, steady stream. Slow. Steady. It should take about 3 minutes to add all the syrup. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and continue beating for about 6 more minutes, until the mixture is firming up and can hold its shape.

Remove the beaters and fold in 1/2 cup sliced almonds. Then using a rubber spatula dipped in water, spread the nougat from the bowl into the prepared pan. Or lay those sheets of pomegranate leather onto a cutting board and spread the nougat onto them. The fruit leather sheets are quite large and will hold a lot--but you'll probably need several laid out on the counter to hold all the nougat you've made. The sheets are also sour, a good foil to the sweet nougat. Working quickly in any case, spread the nougat to the edges of the pan or the sheet. If you've used butter and cornstarch in a baking pan, spread more cornstarch over the top of the nougat. If you've used edible rice papers, set more on top in the baking dish, covering the nougat completely. And if you've used fruit leather, cover the top with a second sheet.

Set the candy aside to cool for about 2 hours, until firm. If it's in a baking pan, run a knife around the edge to loosen it before unmolding it onto a cutting board. In any case, cut the nougat into smaller pieces with a heavy, large knife. It sometimes helps to dip the knife in more cornstarch to prevent sticking. Wrap each piece in a candy wrapper or a small square of wax paper and store in an air-tight container at room temperature for several weeks. Talk about a ridiculously good candy treat--for givers or takers!

Comments

[Brittany (He Cooks She Cooks)]

I've never had homemade nougat before...and now I think I'm really missing out.

[cassie]

i MUST must try this... mmm. yum!