There are sights, sounds, smells and feelings that take me back to wonderful memories or times in my life. While most are food related, others are recollections of feelings derived by experiencing the moment. I was almost 8 years old when we left Tanzania for Canada. I remember my Aunt hosting a goodbye party for us. She made one of my favorite dishes, these wonderful sweet and sour beans. A delectable combination of brown sugar (jaggery) and tamarind paste, among other things. I remember eating them and giving her a big hug for making them for me. She responded to my hug with a comforting, everything will be okay hug! What a beautiful memory! There are also sweet treats that bring back memories, and even though I don’t have a sweet tooth – I know, it’s odd considering how much I love to bake, this Nougat recipe is one of those sweet treats that bring back memories of childhood.
It was such an exciting time for all of us, but especially my brother and me. He is a few years older than me so he wasn’t about to show any excitement – I called it his awkward years. We would be stopping in London first and then from there to Toronto. When we got to London, this wonderful English family picked us up – one of their relatives was a priest in our church back home. They took us to their home just outside London, but not before driving us past some awesome sights like Buckingham Palace. When we got to their home, they treated us to this marvelous high tea in their beautiful rose garden – it was picture book. They were so hospitable and I remember the array of sandwiches, scones, biscuits and sweets. That was my first taste of nougat wrapped in rice paper.
The chewiness of the silky white nougat combined with the crunch of the nuts and dried fruit – the taste, and that rice paper – that dissolve in your mouth sensation, so good! So inspired by wonderful memories I searched, found and adapted this nougat recipe. It works and tastes great. You will need a candy thermometer and for goodness sake, watch for the temperature of the sugar syrup, it goes from perfect to burnt in the blink of an eye. You can and should try this with rice paper – I didn’t have any and made it without. The flavor additions could be anything – nuts, dried fruit, even chocolate. This takes no time to make and disappears in no time at all! As always – enjoy!
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 cup of your favorite nuts (I used whole almonds, skin on)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons water
1 large egg white, room temperature
pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup dried fruit (I used dried cherries)
Preheat oven to 350°f
Prepare an 8 x 8 inch baking pan by spraying with cooking spray, lining with parchment and spraying the parchment as well – set aside
Toast the nuts in a dry frying pan and when slightly colored and toasty, remove from the pan into a bowl – otherwise you will end up with burned nuts and who wants that
Combine sugar, honey, and water in a small, non-stick pot with your candy thermometer attached to the side
Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves
Increase heat and boil until thermometer registers 280f, about 3 to 5 minute – don’t rush the process by putting on high otherwise you will end up with caramel – great for ice cream but not so much for nougat
While the syrup is getting to temperature, beat egg white in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form – add the salt – stop at the soft peak form
When the syrup is at the right temperature, start the mixer again and slowly add the syrup – please avoid pouring it onto the beaters directly, you risk spraying yourself with hot, really really hot, sugar syrup
Beat until meringue is thick and has cooled slightly, 10 to 12 minutes
Remove the bowl from the mixer and add dried fruit and toasted nuts to the meringue and mix with a rubber spatula to distribute evenly
Place nougat on the prepared pan, spreading in an even layer – top with second sheet of sprayed parchment
Use spatula to press the nougat into an even layer. Let nougat set at room temperature for at least 2 hours
Cut with a knife and hide in small batches in various spots in the house – trust me, if you leave it in a bowl on the counter, you will find reasons to walk by that counter several times a day to sample this to make sure it is still good – ahem, quality control you know!
