Flavorings

Nougat, marshmallow, and divinity are almost always flavored with vanilla, either in extract form or by an infusion of the beans in the sugars during cooking. As already discussed, honey is a commonly used flavoring agent that has deep roots in the history of nougat making. Spices find use in aerated candies but are somewhat less commonly used than honey or extracts. If spices are used in a low-boiled sweet such as marshmallow, they should be added to the sugars at the beginning of cooking in order to infuse their flavors directly into the syrup. In high-boiled confections such as nougat, spices are likely to burn if they are cooked with the sugars, resulting in a bitter flavor, so they are better added when aeration begins. Fruit purées may be used in high-moisture aerated confections such as marshmallow, provided the purées are first reduced to remove much of the water. Using purées without first reducing them introduces too much water into the candy, softening it and raising its water-activity level, and thus shortening its shelf life. Due to their water content, purées are not appropriate for use in harder nougats. Extracts, natural flavors, and artificial flavors are all suited to flavoring aerated confections, depending on the results desired. Flavorings of this sort should be added near the end of whipping, when the mixture has begun to cool, to prevent them from flashing off volatile flavor components.