Peanut Nougat Recipes

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.

CRUNCHY PEANUT CARAMEL NOUGAT CANDY BAR

Steps:

• Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of overhang on each side.
• For the nougat: Combine the peanut butter, vanilla and marshmallow cream in a large mixing bowl and reserve. Combine the sugar, cream and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir with a heatproof spatula until the sugar dissolves. Fit the saucepan with a candy thermometer and continue monitoring until the mixture starts to turn a light amber color and the temperature reaches 250 degrees F, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Once your nougat hits 250 degrees F, remove from the heat and add to the marshmallow mixture. Mix together to completely combine, but don't overwork. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Turn out the nougat into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a rubber spatula coated in nonstick spray. Place in the refrigerator to cool and get going on your next layer, the caramel.
• For the caramel filling: Add the sugar, cream and corn syrup to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Carefully stir to combine with a heatproof spatula until the sugar dissolves and bring the mixture to a boil. Stop stirring and boil until the mixture begins to turn an amber color and reaches 250 degrees F, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, carefully, as it will foam up. (Adding the butter at the end will stop the cooking and keeps your caramel soft and chewy.) Keep stirring until it's all dissolved, and then stir in the peanuts. As tempting as it may be, never stick your finger in hot caramel to taste, sugar burns and hurts!
• Pour the caramel over the nougat and spread evenly with the spatula. Place in the refrigerator until the caramel is completely cool, 15 minutes.
• Transfer the candy to a cutting board. Cut lengthwise into thirds and then across in nine 1-inch rectangles, using a sharp knife that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. You can mark the caramel nougat with your knife as a guide before cutting out your bars.
• For the chocolate: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and is smooth, 8 to10 minutes. Dip each candy piece and completely cover with chocolate on all sides, using two forks, allowing the excess to drip off. Place on a wire cooling rack for the excess to drip off while you dip all of the bars. Once the bars are dipped, transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow the chocolate to set in the fridge at least 20 minutes.

CARAMEL PEANUT NOUGAT BARS

Steps:

• 1. Combine corn syrup, butter, vanilla, peanut butter and salt until creamy. Mix in the confectioners' sugar. When the mixture is very thick, press it into a lightly greased 9x9 inch pan. Refrigerate. Melt the caramels in a double boiler over hot water. When soft, mix in the peanuts. Pour over the mixture in the pan. Refrigerate. Melt the chocolate in a microwave oven set on high for 2 minutes. Stir halfway through cooking time. When the mixture in the pan is firm, cut it into 2x1 inch bars. Spear a bar on a fork and dip into the melted chocolate. Tap to knock off any excess drips. If you like, roll into finely chopped peanuts. Place on waxed paper to cool to room temperature.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED PEANUT NOUGAT

Steps:

• Line a 15x10x1-in. pan with foil, letting ends extend over sides by 1 in.; grease foil with 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle peanuts evenly into pan. , Place marshmallow creme in a large heatproof bowl. In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, wash down the sides of the pan to eliminate sugar crystals. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 280° (soft-crack stage), about 10 minutes., Remove from heat; cool 2 minutes. Pour over marshmallow creme (do not scrape saucepan). Stir in cubed butter, vanilla and salt. Immediately pour over peanuts in pan, spreading evenly. Let stand at least 3 hours or until set., Using foil, lift candy out of pan. Gently peel off foil. With a greased knife, cut candy into 1-in. squares., Dip candy into melted candy coating; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets; refrigerate until set. Store between layers of waxed paper in airtight containers.

NOUGAT

Steps:

• Line the sides and base of a 4 by 6-inch baking pan with rice paper. Whisk the egg white in a heatproof bowl until stiff.
• Combine the sugar, glucose, honey and water in a small saucepan. Stir over very low heat until the mixture reaches the small crack stage, or 275 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. While whisking, drizzle the syrup into the egg white and continue whisking until glossy and beginning to stiffen.
• Stir in the almonds, and spread the mixture over the rice paper in the prepared pan, pressing it down well. Cover with another layer of rice paper, and place a light weight evenly over the top. Leave nougat until cold, and then cut into squares, wrap in waxed paper, and store in an airtight container.

MAKE YOUR OWN SNICKERS CANDY BARS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray .
• First, make the layer of peanut caramel. Combine 1 cup of corn syrup, cream, milk, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until the sugar is melted and the mixture is smooth.
• Wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Insert a candy thermometer and bring the candy to a boil. Stirring occasionally, cook the caramel to 240 F ( soft-ball stage ).
• Once the candy has reached the proper temperature, remove it from the heat and immediately stir in the peanuts. Pour the candy into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer.
• While the caramel sets, make the peanut nougat. Place the remaining 1 cup of corn syrup, the water, and the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved, and insert a candy thermometer. Continue to boil the syrup until it reaches 246 F.
• While the sugar syrup boils, place the egg white in the bowl of a large stand mixer . Whip the whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Stop the mixer once they form so that the egg whites are not overbeaten and crumbly.
• Once the sugar syrup has reached 246 F, remove it from the heat. Turn the mixer to high and with the mixer running, slowly pour the sugar syrup in a thin stream. Whip the whites for two minutes until it is well-mixed but still thin.
• Add the peanut butter and vanilla to the mixture and turn on the mixer briefly to incorporate the ingredients. Once the nougat is mixed and homogenous, pour it over the caramel in the 9 x 13-inch pan. Chill the mixture until firm, at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• Once the nougat and peanut layers are completely set and firm, prepare the chocolate for dipping. Place the chocolate candy coating in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave it until melted, stirring after every minute to prevent overheating. Stir the melted chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes to cool it slightly.
• While the chocolate is cooling, remove the candy from the refrigerator, and pull up on the foil to lift the candy from the pan. Using a sharp knife, cut the candy in half, then cut each half into nine pieces, for a total of 18 candy bars. Line a baking sheet with foil and set it nearby.
• Using two forks or dipping tools , submerge one bar in the melted chocolate, caramel side facing up. Remove the bar from the chocolate, allowing the excess chocolate to drip back down into the bowl. Place the dipped bar on the foil-lined sheet.
• Repeat the dipping with the remaining bars and chocolate, and place the bars in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to set the chocolate. Once set, the bars can be served immediately. Enjoy.