It's time for some more candy! Just in case caramel isn't your thing I've made you something else. This is Chocolate and Orange Nougat de Montélimar, or a French Nougat, which essentially is a super chewy meringue packed with nuts. It is delicious as it is and in this recipe it has gotten pimped with orange and chocolate. Now, full disclosure, you do not want to make this recipe if you don't have a stand mixer. A hand held electric whisk is just not strong enough for this, you have been warned.
Chocolate and Orange Nougat de Montélimar
250 g honey
300 g caster sugar
50 g light brown sugar
150 g water
200 g glucose
65 g egg white
150 g dark chocolate
zest of 1 organic orange
250 g almonds
250 g shelled pistachios
1. Start by lining a 23 cm square tin with baking paper and prepping a dough scraper with flavorless oil, you will need this when scraping the mixture into the tin at the end.
2. Set your oven to 200° C and roast the almonds for 10 - 15 minutes until nicely roasted.
3. Turn down the oven to 50° C and once you are sure it's at 50° C you can put in your almonds together with your pistachios to keep them warm. The reason you don't roast the pistachios is because they will loose their beautiful green color.
4. Melt the chocolate and set aside until later.
5. Put you egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer.
6. In a big pot put your water, sugar and glucose and start cooking over medium heat.
7. Once the sugar pot is boiling you can put your pot of honey over medium heat as well. You need to let it get a head start because it will take quite a bit longer and you are going to pour in the honey first.
8. Once your honey has reached 120° C you can start whipping your egg whites on medium speed. When your honey has reached 135° C you can pour it slowly into what should now be soft peaked egg whites. Try to avoid the whisk when you pour or you might splash some on yourself, which is going to be very very warm.
9. Keep the whisk going while you are waiting for your cooking sugar to reach 145° C and then pour it slowly into the egg whites.
10. Keep whipping for a few minutes until the mixture reaches 70° C, and you can make a non sticky ball if you pick up a bit of the nougat and roll it between you fingers.
Top tip! If your machine seems to be struggling you can switch to the paddle attachment, it will make it easier for it to work the mixture.
11. Add the chocolate and the orange zest and get it worked in. Try to scrape down the sides the best you can because it will not want to mix all the way out there.
12. Once you are happy with how well the chocolate is mixed in you can add in the nuts and puls them through, you just want to keep it going until the nuts are nicely dispersed.
13. Time to get this into your tin! Get your oiled scraper and scrape as much as you can of the mixture as you can into your tin, but some of it will never come out and that is okey. Get enough and then cut you losses.
14. Now you can do one of two things, either oil you hands and spread out the nougat using them, or oil something that is flat that you can easily control and use that. I use my hands but it is still quite warm so keep that in mind.
15. Get the mixture evenly into the tin and smooth out the top. Let sit at room temp until completely cool and then cut into as big or small as you want.
16. Enjoy!
Now I hope you give these guys a go and make them your new favorite Christmas treat. Until next time!
