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Nougat noir

Dark honey almond nougat

Nougat noir: crunchy Provençal dark honey and almond nougat

Nougat noir is the dark, crunchy sister of white nougat, made of just honey and almonds cooked until caramelised, and in Provence both are placed on the Christmas Eve table as part of the thirteen desserts, the white for purity and the black for the shadows. The common mistake is cooking it too far, so it tastes burnt and bitter. Chef's tip: stop as soon as the honey turns a deep amber and the almonds start to crackle.
Total time
30 min
Difficulty
medium
Serves
20
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Ingredients

Serves20

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Method

0/4 done
  1. Step 1: Line a 20 cm square tin with 2 sheets edible rice paper (wafer paper) or oiled baking paper.

    5 min
  2. Step 2: Heat the 10 ½ oz dark honey and 10 ½ oz whole almonds, skin on together in a heavy pan over a medium heat, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon, for 12–15 minutes, until the honey turns deep amber and the almonds crackle and smell toasted.

    15 min
  3. Step 3: Pour into the tin at once, cover with wafer or oiled paper and press flat with a heavy board. Take great care; the mixture is very hot.

    5 min
  4. Step 4: Cool completely, then cut with a heavy knife. Keep in an airtight tin.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
130 kcal
Protein
3 g
Carbs
14 g
Fat
7 g
Fibre
2 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does nougat noir take?
About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
What can I use instead of dark honey?
Maple syrup or golden syrup, same amount.

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Perfect for:Christmas

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