Pistachio, Almond, and Cranberry Nougat

A festive confection

I started making nougat because it’s my husband’s favorite candy. Previously, the only kind of nougat I’d had were those little square Brach’s jelly nougats (IYKYK) that you might buy just to use up your seven leftover Chuck E Cheese tickets. Why anyone would place that in their candy hall-of-fame was beyond me, but the things we do for love etcetera etcetera.

But I have seen the light. Actual handmade nougat is special, a unique combination of texture and flavor that, despite being quite sweet (it is candy, let’s be real), makes you want to go back for just one more bite.

Nougat can range from soft and chewy to hard and brittle, depending on how far you cook the sugar syrup. My recipe falls somewhere in the middle — it’s chewy and holds its shape, yet tender enough to not break your teeth. I like to load up my nougat with lots of toasted almonds and salted pistachios, plus some dried cranberries for a little tartness and color; but there’s lots of room for customization with the mix-ins.

Making nougat feels intimidating at first, and granted, it’s a little high maintenance. It requires your full attention for several literal hot minutes; and you will need a stand mixer and at least one candy thermometer. But once you get the hang of it, making nougat is extremely rewarding and highly delicious. Wrapped in clear cellophane, it makes a gorgeous edible gift — but don’t forget to save some for yourself!

Recipe notes and tips for success

• Before you begin, read the entire recipe several times to familiarize yourself with the order of operations. Nougat involves a lot of waiting around, then a few important steps in rapid succession. Have all your ingredients scaled out and your equipment prepped before you turn on the mixer or stove.

• Cooking the honey separately from the rest of the sugar helps preserve its flavor and keeps the nougat brighter in color. You really taste the honey so use the good stuff!

• Because this recipe involves cooking two separate sugar syrups to specific temperatures, it’s helpful if you have two candy or instant-read clip-on style digital probe thermometers — I love both my Polder and Thermapen DOT. (I don’t like using handheld thermometers for sugar syrups because the display blanks out after a few seconds, long enough for you to overshoot your temperatures.) But if you only have one thermometer, you can move it between the syrups. Start with it in your sugar syrup, and once that hits 225F, move it to the honey. Once the honey has hit temperature and you’ve added it to your egg whites, move it back to the sugar syrup. (No need to wash the probe between the syrups.)

• Most candy mishaps occur because the sugar isn’t cooked to the right temperature. You can check that your thermometer is accurate by ensuring it registers 212F in a pot of boiling water. Also, make sure the tip of your thermometer probe is fully submerged in the syrup and not hitting the bottom of your pot, or your temperature reading will not be accurate.

• You will need a stand mixer for this recipe. I do not recommend trying to make nougat with a handheld mixer; it will struggle mightily if not flat out break.

• Adding a little cocoa butter imparts tenderness and also makes the nougat less sticky and easier to handle. You can find cocoa butter at many health food or specialty food stores, or online.

• Traditionally nougat is molded between pieces of edible wafer paper to help keep its shape. Personally I don’t use wafer paper because it’s hard to source and kind of expensive; and I like to cut my nougat into small individual pieces anyways. You will need some type of wrapper for the nougat, though — I use precut cellophane wrappers and highly recommend them. They twist easily and look professional; and you don’t need to cut a billion tiny squares of parchment or wax paper (huge selling point for me).