White Nougat

White Nougat

This recipe is for Syrian white nougat, made by cooking a syrup of sugar and water over medium heat, then adding butter, powdered milk, vanilla, citric acid, and toasted nuts. The mixture is poured into a buttered bowl, cooled until firm, then cut. The official description is the primary reference for quantities, while the chef added important procedural details such as toasting the nuts, testing the syrup in cold water, and choosing powdered vanilla to preserve the white color.

A sweet nougat candy made into a firm slice or bar.

Like a chewy nut candy bar.

Nougat usually needs careful cooking of sugar or syrup to set properly.

Ingredients

  • 250 g (2 1/2 cups) Powdered milk
  • 200 ml (1 cup) Water
  • 400 g (2 cups) Sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1/3 teaspoon Citric acid
  • as desired Nuts
  • approximately 125 g (7 tablespoons) Butter
  • 1 cup Aleppo pistachios
  • 1/2 cup Hazelnuts

Instructions

  1. In a pot, combine 1 cup of water with 2 cups of sugar, then leave over medium heat until the sugar dissolves on its own, without stirring.
  2. In the pot, let the water-and-sugar mixture boil and thicken for about 20 minutes to 15–20 minutes, then test the syrup in cold water to make sure it is ready.
  3. In a skillet over medium heat, toast the nuts, stirring continuously, until golden, then turn off the heat and set aside.
  4. In the same pot, add the citric acid once the syrup is nearly clear, then let it cook for about 15 to 20 minutes until ready.
  5. In the pot, test the syrup again by dropping some into cold water; if it forms a lump, it is ready.
  6. In the pot, add the butter to the hot syrup and stir until the butter melts quickly.
  7. In the pot, add the powdered milk with the vanilla, then stir well until the mixture is combined.
  8. In the pot, add the toasted nuts and stir until evenly distributed.
  9. Into a buttered bowl or Pyrex dish, pour the mixture while warm and begin leveling it to a thickness of about 1.5 cm.
  10. Over the surface of the mixture in the bowl, optionally sprinkle chopped Aleppo pistachios for garnish.
  11. Leave the bowl in a suitable place until cool and set, for 2 to 3 hours or less depending on the temperature of the weather.
  12. After the mixture has cooled in the bowl, loosen the edges with a knife, then cut into equal pieces as desired.

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