Vanilla Bean Soft Nougat Recipe on Food52 (2024)

American

by: Erin Jeanne McDowell

February9,2022

5

2 Ratings

  • Prep time 8 hours 30 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • makes about 200 pieces (makes one 12x12 in/30x30 cm slab)

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Author Notes

Nougat falls into the category of aerated confections, which means it’s made by whipping to a full volume. Professional candy makers often use frames to create even slabs of candy that can be cut into perfect portions. You can snag your own metal frames at a hardware store, which is a fun investment if you plan on making candy regularly. But you can also just draw a square on a piece of parchment paper to use as a guide for a slightly less perfect (but no less delicious!) slab instead. Nougat is delicious alone or dipped in chocolate. Or, try mixing toasted nuts into the nougat after mixing it to full volume for a delicious textural and flavor addition. Well wrapped and stored in an airtight container, pieces of nougat will keep for up to 3 months. —Erin Jeanne McDowell

Test Kitchen Notes

Bake It Up a Notchis a column by Resident Baking BFF Erin Jeanne McDowell. Each month, she'll help take our baking game to the next level, teaching us all the need-to-know tips and techniques and pointing out all the mistakes to avoid along the way. —The Editors

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

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Vanilla Bean SoftNougat

Ingredients
  • Meringue Base
  • 2 large (70 grams) egg whites
  • 1/4 cup(85 grams) corn syrup
  • 1 tablespoon(15 grams) vanilla bean paste
  • Sugar Syrup & Finishing
  • 1/3 cup(43 grams) dry milk powder
  • 1/4 cup(28 grams) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 2/3 cups(510 grams) corn syrup
  • 2 1/3 cups(454 grams) granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup(170 grams) water
  • 1 pound(454 grams) tempered dark or milk chocolate (optional)
Directions
  1. Prepare your candy frame on a parchment lined baking sheet (see headnote), or draw a 12x12 in/30x30 cm square on a piece of parchment paper. Place the parchment paper—ink-side down—on a baking sheet. Lightly grease the parchment with nonstick spray.
  2. Make the meringue base: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the egg whites, corn syrup, and vanilla paste.
  3. Prepare the remaining ingredients: In a small bowl, sift the milk powder and confectioners’ sugar to combine.
  4. In a medium pot, layer the corn syrup, granulated sugar, and water (in that order). Stir the mixture with the probe of your digital thermometer (or the handle of a wooden spoon) to break up any dry pockets or clumps of granulated sugar, but the goal is to only stir enough to evenly combine the ingredients, and no more.
  5. Cook this mixture over medium heat (not stirring) until the mixture reads 233°F/112°C on a thermometer.
  6. When the mixture in the pot reaches 233°F/112°C, begin whipping the egg white mixture on high speed. Continue cooking the sugar syrup until it reaches 250°F/121°C.
  7. Remove the pot from the heat, and slowly stream the sugar mixture into the egg white mixture (with the mixer running). Whip for 8 minutes on high speed.
  8. Remove the mixer bowl from the mixer, and fold in the sifted dry milk and confectioners sugar with a silicone spatula until fully incorporated.
  9. Scoop the mixture into the center of the prepared frame, and spread/press into an even layer (about ½ in/1 cm thick). Let set overnight before cutting.
  10. Cut into squares with a sharp knife. If desired, dip the squares of nougat in the tempered chocolate to coat, or wrap each piece individually in cellophane or wax paper. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Tags:

  • American
  • Dessert

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Recipe by: Erin Jeanne McDowell

I always have three kinds of hot sauce in my purse. I have a soft spot for making people their favorite dessert, especially if it's wrapped in a pastry crust. My newest cookbook, Savory Baking, came out in Fall of 2022 - is full of recipes to translate a love of baking into recipes for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between!

Popular on Food52

1 Review

Bchalmer February 13, 2022

This recipe is well written and super easy to follow. I modified the recipe to add matcha powder and everything came out beautifully!
When making it I did almost have the sugar boil over, so I recommend using a three quart sauce pan just in case.

Vanilla Bean Soft Nougat Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is soft nougat made of? ›

Nougat (US: /ˈnuːɡət/ NOO-gət, UK: /ˈnuːɡɑː/ NOO-gah; French: [nuɡa]; Persian: نوقا) is a family of confections made with sugar or honey, roasted nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and macadamia nuts are common), whipped egg whites, and sometimes chopped candied fruit.

What is vanilla nougat made of? ›

What you see pictured here is a nougat made from honey, sugar, egg whites, and water as the base. Then there's vanilla bean, and lots of nuts and seeds beyond that.

What is a substitute for corn syrup in nougat? ›

Brown Rice Syrup

It can be used to prevent crystallization up to a certain point (hard-ball stage on a candy thermometer), so it will work for nougats, gummies and marshmallows.

How do you harden soft nougat? ›

“If you prefer the nougat to be a little bit firmer and you want to cut it into squares … heat it up a little bit more with a hairdryer.” Move the hairdryer around the bowl of the stand mixer continuously, so it doesn't burn.

What is the difference between nougat and halva? ›

Halva is probably one of the oldest sweets in the world, and nougat shares its genuinity and its real, authentic flavour. The difference is that halva is made either with a flour base or a nut butter base, whilst nougat uses egg whites to achieve its chewiness and mellow, creamy mouthfeel.

What are the three types of nougat? ›

There are three main types of nougat: white, brown, and viennese. White nougat, the most common variety, is likely what you're familiar with.

What the heck is nougat? ›

Nougat — which first of all is pronounced new-get not new-gat — is traditionally an aerated blend of sugar, egg whites, and nuts and/or fruit. The homemade variety looks very different than the type you find in the middle of the candy bar.

Is nougat just marshmallow? ›

Nougat is a confection made with sugar or honey that's cooked and then whipped with egg whites to aerate it. It often contains almonds or other nuts, candied fruits and chocolate, although it can be left plain. Nougat can be soft and tender like marshmallow but is more often dense and very chewy.

What's the difference between vanilla nougat and marshmallows? ›

Nougat, traditionally, is made from egg whites and a sweetener (originally honey, though sugar is common these days). It tends to be dense and chewy, and frequently contains nuts and possibly dried fruit. Marshmallow uses gelatin for its substance rather than egg whites.

What is the bad corn syrup called? ›

For decades, high-fructose corn syrup has been used as a sweetener in processed foods. Due to its fructose content, it has been heavily criticized for its potential negative health effects.

What is corn syrup called now? ›

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), also known as glucose–fructose, isoglucose and glucose–fructose syrup, is a sweetener made from corn starch.

Is Karo syrup the same as corn syrup? ›

Karo syrup is a popular brand of corn syrup, which is obtained from corn starch that is derived from maize. It is a concentrated solution of several sugars, such as glucose (dextrose), derived from corn starch. Because of various sugars, corn syrup has a naturally mild sweet taste.

Why do you put cocoa butter in nougat? ›

Pre-Crystallization of Nougat by Seeding with Cocoa Butter Crystals Enhances the Bloom Stability of Nougat Pralines.

Why is my homemade nougat too soft? ›

I was taught that in addition to having your sugar at the right temperature, it's important to test the nougat as you beat it, if it's cooling down and still not making a nice firm consistency when you put it in iced water, you need to apply heat to the bowl to evaporate more water from the mixture until you get the ...

What is the difference between hard and soft nougat? ›

So, make sure and try a nougat that has your preferred type of nut mixed in. Another difference between hard and soft nougat is that hard nougat will never have candied fruit in it. The thin bark of hard nougat would never be able to hold the candied fruit the same way as the fluffy soft nougat.

What is nougat made of in Three Musketeers? ›

The nougat chocolate center is made by whipping egg whites until they are light and frothy. Sugar syrup is then added, stabilizing the foam and creating mousse. Other flavoring ingredients are then added to the mousse to create specific flavors.

Is nougat candy healthy? ›

Nougat candy is sweet, so it isn't generally considered a healthy food. Artisan nougat, however, is made with fine ingredients that are better for you than cheaper sweeteners and flavourings.

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