Technique: Classic Nougat

The method for classic nougat Montelimar or torrone differs slightly from the basic albumen method. Rather than cooking all of the sugars together and adding them to the whipping albumen, the sugars are cooked in two separate batches: the first contains only the honey and is cooked to a relatively low temperature (approximately 120°C/248°F). This low-cooked honey is added to the already whipping albumen and both are whipped to aerate and stabilize the foam. This step is identical to making an Italian meringue in a pastry kitchen. After thoroughly aerating the albumen and the low-cooked honey mixture, a second batch of sugar—consisting of the sugar and glucose syrup—is cooked. This batch is cooked to a higher temperature, ranging from 130° to 155°C/266° to 311°F, depending on the desired firmness of the finished product. The higher the temperature the sugars reach, the less water they contain, and the harder the nougat will be. The high-cooked sugar is then streamed into the whipping albumen-honey mixture, and the resulting nougat mixture is whipped until it begins to cool. After whipping, an optional ingredient like fondant or confectioners’ sugar may be added to induce crystallization, resulting in a short texture. A fat such as cocoa butter is usually added to shorten the texture of the nougat, and inclusions (toasted nuts and dried or candied fruit) are mixed in.