In every Christmas table worth its salt should not be missing some good nougat, either with one of the traditional classic varieties, or with a more fanciful and innovative flavor. There is something for all tastes, and we can always combine quality artisans with homemade preparations.
If you have never tried to prepare a homemade variety of nougat, you do not know what you are missing, because they are quite simple to make and we can also choose the best ingredients. This year the typical tray of nougat that is around at Christmas in all the houses, is going to be much more special because it will have one of these delicacies made by ourselves. We start with their recipes, do not miss them.
Jijona nougat or soft nougat
We start with one of the classic nougat nicknamed “soft”, to differentiate it from Alicante or “hard”. In the professional artisan version it is made with the same ingredients but the process is different, which gives us a nougat with different texture and flavor. Much easier to make at home than its tough brother, it’s perfect for later making desserts with him.
Whether we start with whole or already ground almonds, toast them in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly for a few minutes until they begin to brown and emit their characteristic aroma. Let cool. If we use the whole dried fruit we will have to grind them, adjust the texture to taste.
Put the honey with the sugar in a saucepan over the fire, heat on low power and cook until they are integrated into a dough semi-liquid and homogeneous, stirring gently. Remove from the fire.
Beat the egg side with a fork or whisk until it foams and add it to the saucepan, stirring quickly. Return to fire, to very low temperature, and cook, stirring constantly until a thick cream is formed, preventing the white from setting. Remove from the fire.
Add the almond, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and the fine zest of 1/2 lemon (optional). Work energetically until you have a fairly thick but malleable dough. Take to the mold pressing well, cover with film or parchment paper and put a weight on top. Wait for it to warm and cool in the fridge for at least six hours, with the weight on.
Complete recipe | Jijona nougat recipe, the most popular Christmas sweet in Alicante
Cream and walnut nougat
With a soft flavor and texture, this cream and walnut nougat is a perfect variety for those who do not like almond excessively, as this is overlapped by the creaminess of the cream. Also very simple to prepare, you only need a day of drying to enjoy it.
Chocolate and caramel nougat with fleur de sel
It has always seemed to us that chocolate and caramel marry perfectly, but if we also add a touch of fleur de sel or flaked salt then the thing takes us to another dimension on the palate. The salt enhances the flavors of the rest of the ingredients and the result is sublime, a true temptation for those with a sweet tooth. Do not miss this recipe for chocolate and caramel nougat with a touch of fleur de sel that you can also see step by step on video.
Crunchy Chocolate Nougat
Good good, if you want to win over the little ones in the houseYou can’t stop preparing one of these two nougat varieties that I show you now. We start with the first one, an impressive crunchy chocolate nougat, filled with nuts, in this case with almonds, but which you can vary according to your choice.
In this recipe, a little alcohol is added to the nougat, which of course you can delete or change for a non-alcoholic liquor if the children are going to drink it and it will be just as delicious.
Chocolate nougat and puffed rice
This is the other variety that I recommend for the little ones. This chocolate and puffed rice nougat is very similar to the one sold in stores, but the one that we can add more quality chocolate and also try other types such as with black or white chocolate coverage, as it is made in the same way. So easy and so rich that I think you are going to forget about the commercial.
Almond, pistachio and blueberry nougat
Who looks for a original nougat recipe But don’t get out of hand with weird flavor innovations either, this one with almonds, pistachios and lingonberries may be the sweet you are looking for. Colorful, easy and delicious, it will be the star of the after-dinner table or a fabulous gift with which to entertain family and friends. Don’t forget to keep it in the fridge until serving time.
Toasted egg yolk nougat
Almost as famous as the Jijona or Alicante nougat, this toasted egg yolk nougat with its rustic and homemade point it becomes irresistible at any Christmas table.
I don’t know why it will be, but This variety of nougat is liked by both adults and childrenIt will be because of its flavor of caramelized custard or flan that flies off the trays. Now you can do it at home very easily, but yes, very carefully when working with the yolk of the egg and when preserving it. Better to use pasteurized yolks.
Another specialty that children love but that continues to triumph among the older ones. A good chocolate nougat enriched with cookies is very easy to prepare and you just have to choose top quality ingredients to succeed. Uses your favorite cookies or combine several types to give it a different touch. If you also have Thermomix, you will see how quickly it prepares.
Fuchsia nougat
We leave this original variety of nougat for the end. With this fuchsia nougat you will dazzle your guests when you put it on the snack tray. But so delicious is how colorful, and on top of that, very simple to prepare and if you have the ingredients on hand, a good way to vary our selection of Christmas sweets.
This fake chocolate nougat, cookie and clouds (marshmallows) may sound cloying, but the combination of dark chocolate with the crunch of cookies is addictive and the touch of clouds provides a contrast of textures that is capable of surprising for good. Theirs is to use a high percentage of cocoa chocolate, very crunchy cookies that are not very sweet, and the precise amount of clouds so that they are not too protagonists.
When the first commercial version of this chocolate nougat with Oreo cookies went on sale it was the great sensation of that year, although today these hybrid desserts no longer attract so much attention, perhaps due to saturation. The fact is that making it at home is tremendously easy and will delight lovers of famous American cookies, with their particular flavor and texture. With Thermomix or another kitchen robot it does not take anything, the most difficult thing is to wait for it to solidify to taste it.
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