Almond Pistachio Nougatine Recipes

FRENCH NOUGATINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Roast the pistachios in the oven for 10 minutes and immediately transfer to a sheet pan. When the pistachios are cool, transfer them to a greased sheet pan.
• Line a 1 pound (4 1/2-by-8 1/2-by-2 2/3-inch) bread loaf pan with plastic wrap.
• Combine the 4 ounces of sugar with 3 tablespoons water in a small heavy saucepan. Cook until caramel is light amber. Immediately pour over the pistachios and give them a quick shake. Allow the brittle to cool, then chop it into pistachio-size bits. Set aside. Whip the eggs whites with the pinch of salt until stiff, set aside in a large bowl.
• Whip the heavy cream with the 1 cup of sugar, vanilla and almond extracts. Fold the egg whites and whipped cream gently together. Add the chopped nut praline and fold it into egg/whipped cream mixture. Place the mixture into the lined loaf pan.
• Fold the plastic wrap over the top to cover. Freeze 8 hours or overnight.
• For the sauce, blend the raspberries, sugar and lemon zest in a food processor. Strain the mixture and refrigerate.
• At least 20 minutes before serving, combine 1 pint of fresh raspberries with the framboise in a small bowl and macerate.
• When ready to serve, remove the nougatine from loaf pan, unwrap, and slice. Serve each slice with the berry sauce and/or macerated raspberries.

ALMOND-PISTACHIO NOUGATINE

Steps:

• Put the sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan and make a light caramel: Place saucepan over medium heat. The sugar will melt and start to caramelize. When the mixture is pale brown, add the almonds, pistachios, and butter. Mix well to coat the nuts in the caramel and toast them lightly.
• Working quickly, turn the mixture out onto a sheet of parchment paper or onto a silicone mat. Place a second sheet or mat on top, then roll out the nougatine very thinly with a rolling pin. To finish, cut out the desired shapes using a knife or a pair of scissors. If the nougatine hardens too much to cut, reheat it in a 275°F oven for 4 to 5 minutes to soften it a little. (Store in an airtight container, away from moisture, for up to 1 month.)

TORRONE (ITALIAN NUT AND NOUGAT CONFECTION)

Steps:

• Line an 8x11-inch baking dish with plastic wrap, allowing ends to hang over the sides. Place 1 sheet of 8x10 wafer paper in the bottom of the pan. Keep the roasted almonds and pistachios in a warm place until ready to add at the end. This makes it easier to mix them in.
• Pour honey into a heavy-bottomed pot. Add sugar. Mix and stir over low heat with a spatula, stirring constantly until mixture turns from grainy to silky and smooth, about 30 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
• Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl; add a pinch of salt. Whisk until whites form soft peaks, 3 to 4 minutes. Place pot back on low heat. Gradually whisk about a quarter of the whipped egg whites into the honey/sugar mixture; whisk in the remaining egg whites in 3 more batches.
• Continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula until mixture turns a brighter white and a ribbon of the mixture does not immediately incorporate back into the rest of the mixture and stays intact on the surface for a while. This will take about 40 minutes. You can add a few drops of the mixture into a small bowl of ice cold water to test the consistency; ideally it should feel like soft clay.
• Whisk in vanilla and lemon zest. Add warm almonds and pistachios and stir to incorporate evenly.
• Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Even out as best you can with a clean oiled spatula. Top with 2nd sheet of wafer paper, shiny side up. Cover with plastic wrap and press down evenly, tamping mixture down gently but firmly. Remove top layer of plastic.
• Allow torrone to sit at room temperature until cool, firm, and ready to cut, 1 or 2 hours. Lift torrone from baking dish with the edges of the bottom layer of plastic wrap. Invert and remove plastic from the bottom. If the plastic wrap is difficult to remove from the edges of the torrone, you can trim off the edges.
• Cut torrone into 1-inch squares using a sharp serrated knife.

PISTACHIO-ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest and beat just until combined. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary. Add the nuts and anise seeds and mix until combined. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a 12-inch-long log. Transfer the log to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Leave the oven on. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on the diagonal into 1/2 -inch-thick slices. Place the biscotti cut side up on the lined baking sheet and bake for an additional 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store the biscotti in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 2 weeks.

ALMOND PISTACHIO BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Spray baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray.
• Place flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in food processor bowl. Cover and pulse until blended. Add almond paste and butter. Cover and pulse until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Turn mixture into mixing bowl.
• Add almonds, pistachios and chocolate. Beat together whole eggs and egg yolk with a fork. Remove 2 teaspoons and set aside for egg wash.
• Make a well in flour mixture. Add remaining eggs and vanilla and stir until mixture holds together. With floured hands, shape dough into four (12-inch-long) logs. Place logs 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Flatten each log to a width of 1 1/4 inches. Lightly brush logs with reserved egg wash.
• Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until logs start to brown and no imprint remains when pressed lightly with finger. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack for 20 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F Carefully transfer logs to a cutting surface. Cut logs on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place biscotti standing up 1/2 inch apart on two ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake 15 to 25 minutes more or until biscotti are dry and the sides begin to color slightly. Do not overbake. Cool biscotti on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely. Store biscotti in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
• *To toast almonds, spread on baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted.

CHERRY-PISTACHIO NOUGAT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly coat baking pan with nonstick spray. Line with plastic wrap, leaving a 1" overhang on all sides. Set aside.
• Spread out pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring once, until just beginning to turn light golden brown in spots, about 10 minutes. Let cool. Coarsely chop and set aside.
• Combine sugar, honey, and 2 tablespoons water in a small deep heavy saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of pan. Increase heat and boil until thermometer registers 252°F, about 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat egg white and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
• With mixer running, gradually stream hot syrup into egg whites. Beat until meringue is thick, has tripled in volume, and has cooled slightly, 10-12 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer and add cherries and pistachios to meringue; mix nougat with a rubber spatula to distribute evenly.
• Place one 8x8" sheet of rice paper (or 8x8" sheet of parchment paper sprayed with nonstick spray) in the prepared pan. Transfer nougat to pan, spreading in an even layer. Top with second sheet of rice paper (or 8x8" sheet of parchment paper sprayed with nonstick spray). Using an offset spatula, press the nougat into an even layer. Let stand at room temperature until set, about 2 hours.
• Using overhang from plastic wrap, lift nougat out of pan and transfer to a work surface; discard plastic. Run a large sharp knife under hot tap water; wipe dry. Cut nougat crosswise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 10 pieces, occasionally reheating knife under hot water and wiping dry. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

PISTACHIO AND ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• Put the measured pistachios into a food processor with a few tablespoons of the sugar. Grind. Alternately, use the smallest wholes of a meat grinder, fitted to a stand mixer, in which case no divided sugar will be needed , the latter, is a preference of mine, because of the fine texture, albeit, either are acceptable.
• Add the remaining sugar to the nuts, along with the eggs and almond meal. Add a pinch of salt, and work to a stiff dough, taking as long as it takes to gather one together, a mixer, fitted with the paddle, can be used if desired.
• Chill the batter overnight.
• Measure dough from rather level teaspoons, making two sheets of, approximately 24 cookies each. Each serving of cookie should be rolled between the palms, to create a smooth ball. Place on the cookie sheets and insert a pistachio nut, working, thoroughly enough to have it adhere, but no so intently, that the cookie batter splits, deeply along the sides.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees with the rack in the upper-third, and bottom-third levels.
• Bake for 15 minutes, at least, they may take up to 22. Rotate the pans halfway through the initial baking. Feel the cookies, they should be firm, but tender, they should give upon release, but not to too soft to fall apart, the bottoms should be browned lightly. They will crisp by 20-30% upon cooling. Remove them. Cool on racks. Eat them, when lightly warm, or cooled, to room temperature. They will keep several days, between sheets of paper, or perhaps, weeks, chilled in the refrigerator.