Blueberry nougat is bursting with blueberry flavor that mingles with the creamy sweetness of nougat. Nougat is a type of candy. It is made by whipping egg whites and combining them with containing cooked sugar. The cooked sugar has dry sugar (white table sugar) and a sugar syrup in varying proportions.
Light and fluffy, stand alone or add as a layer in other confections, endless variations on texture, flavor, and inclusions, it’s no wonder people have a love affair with this sweet candy.
Nougat is a whipped aerated confection made by using either egg whites or dried albumen (dried egg whites) and cooking sugar and syrups.
Blueberry nougat can be a layer in candy bars or cut into individual pieces.
If you want to make your own nougat, try these a nougat recipe for flavors like peanut butter, nutella, or strawberry!
Which country invented nougat?
There's evidence that a precursor to nougat was around in ancient times! This "first nougat" was made using egg whites, honey, and nuts.
Nougat's actual origins aren't clear, but many food historians have traced it to the Middle East. Early recipes were found in a book that dates back to 10th century Baghdad. These early versions were called nāṭif.
Types of Nougat
From its origins in the Middle East, the confection later spread to Spain and Italy in the 15th century and France in the 17th century.
Montelimar
A nougat that is light and fluffy, filled with dried fruits and nuts.
Torrone
A harder textured nougat with a more caramelized flavor.
Classic
Made with two sugar solutions (typically honey + a sugar / corn syrup mix) that are cooked in separate batches before adding to the meringue.
How is nougat made?
Nougat can be divided into three sections when thinking about it's components.
- The egg white meringue (aeraiton)
- The syrup slurry (sweeteners)
- The finishers - flavors, inclusions, and a fat source.
Combine egg whites and small amount of syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, but do not begin whipping.
Combine dry sugar, syrup (examples are corn syrup, glucose, tapioca, brown rice, honey, etc), and water in a large, heavy duty pot.
Cook sugar mix until the temperature reaches 234F. This takes around 4 minutes. Once the temperature reads 234F, begin whipping the egg white mix on high (this is aeration). Continue cooking the sugar mix until the temperature reaches 252F, around 4 more minutes.
Turn off heat. Stream hot syrup into whipping eggs whites. Whip for an additional 4 minutes on high speed. Add in flavors, inclusions, graining sugar, and fat source.
Aeration: Lift me up baby!
When we talk aeration, we want to think about trapping air into a mixture. Aeration in confectionery is done mechanically, chemically, or with pressure. Aeration in nougat is mechanically by using your mixer (the machine) and whip attachment. It's responsible for texture as well as color.
Aerating Agents: How to hit the lift
Fresh egg whites:
Uncooked egg in candy? Don’t worry, the hot sugar and syrup will pasteurize them. Fresh egg whites are whipped with a small amount of cold syrup to form a meringue. Cooked syrup is slowly streamed into them to stabilize it. Continued whipping as it cools incorporates all the air.
Dried albumen:
Dried albumen is powdered and must be hydrated before you can use it. You can hydrate it with water or add it to fresh egg whites to hydrate it. You do not want to see any lumps of dried albumen. Allow it to hydrate for 15 minutes or longer before using it.
Sugars and Syrups: Sweetness and Structure
The most commonly used sweeteners for nougat:
- Sucrose (table sugar)
- Corn Syrup
- Glucose Syrup
- Honey
Crystallization: The makers choice
Some nougat recipes intentionally induce crystallization to create a short, tender texture. Other recipes leave it uncrystallized to provide chewiness. Adding powdered sugar at the end of the recipe will induce crystallization. The ingredients that cause crystallization take 24-48 hours to full set the texture into a short, tender bite. Nougat that is crystallized requires 24 to 48 hours before it can be considered finished and ready for consumption.
Candy with nougat - what's out there?
- milk way candy bars
- snickers
- reese fast break
- three muskateers
- baby ruth
- zero bars
- wrapped jube nougats
- brach's christmas nougats
- brach's jelly nougats
- ferrara nougat torrone
Equipment - what do I need to make blueberry nougat?
Check out this blog post if you are interested in learning more about the candy making equipment I recommend.
- candy thermometer
- stand mixer with whisk attachment
- spatula
- heavy duty thick bottomed pot
- sheet pan
How to keep bluberry nougat
Store nougat in an airtight container under normal room conditions, away from excessive heat.
Can blueberry nougat be frozen?
Yes, nougat can be frozen but should be brought to room temperature before consuming.
Help! What's wrong with my nougat?
causes: insufficient aeration, sugar overcooked, nougat deflated during handling
solutions: whip longer, whip on high speed, cook sugar to lower temperature, handle minimally after adding fat
causes: Nougat too cool, Inclusions too cool
solutions: add inclusions sooner, warm inclusions before adding
causes: sugar overcooked
solutions: Cook sugar to correct temperature
causes: sugar undercooked
solutions: Cook sugar to correct temperature
causes: sugar caramelized, insufficient aeration
solutions: Cook sugar to correct temperature, Cook sugar as quickly as possible, Add sugar to albumen as quicker, whip longer, whip on high speed
Blueberry Nougat
Equipment
- 5 quart planetary stand mixer
Ingredients
Egg White Meringue
- 60 grams egg whites (2 egg whites)
- 100 grams corn syrup
Syrup Slurry
- 580 grams Sugar
- 250 grams corn syrup
- 180 grams Water
Graining Agents & Fats & Flavors
- 170 grams powdered sugar
- 50 grams coconut oil
- 10 grams vanilla extract
- 300 grams dried blueberries
- 10 grams blueberry flavor
Instructions
Set up and Egg White Meringue
- Prepare a 9 x 13" pan with lightly oiled parchment paper. Set aside
- Weigh out powdered sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a 5 quart planetary mixing bowl, combine corn syrup and egg whites. Mix on low for 20 seconds to combine the corn syrup and egg whites. Turn off mixer.
Syrup Slurry
- In a heavy duty, thick bottomed pot, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Turn heat to medium and begin stirring. You will stir this whole time.
- When syrup reaches 234F, turn your mixer speed to high. Continue to cook and stir your syrup as the egg white meringue whips.
- Cook syrup mixture into 260F. Turn off heat. Leave the 5 quart mixer on high.
- With the egg whites whipping, slowly stream syrup slurry into the egg whites. You need to do this slowly so it does not collapse the meringue.
- Once all of the syrup has been incorporated, mix on high for four additional minutes.
- Turn mixer to low.
Fats, Finishers, Flavors
- Add in powdered sugar. Add in liquid coconut oil and vanilla. Mix for 30 seconds. Turn mixer to high for an additional 30 seconds.
- Turn mixer to low and add in dried fruit.
- Pour on prepared parchment. Top with an additional sheet of lightly oiled parchment paper, smoothing out the nougat underneath.
- Let nougat sit for 12 hours before using further. Cut nougat into desired size and wrap in parchment paper, wax, or cello candy wrappers.
Nutrition
Nougat recipes
- What is Nougat? A confectionery scientist answers.
- Best equipment for candy making at home
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- How to make chocolate box chocolates - strawberry nougat
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- Gingerbread molasses caramel with browned butter nougat
- Fluffy nutella nougat candy bars
- Pumpkin spice caramel & sweet cream nougat
- Peanut Butter Nougat Caramel Candy Bars
- Apple pie caramels inspired by Dollywood magic
- Fluffy strawberry nougat
- Sweet Potato Caramel with Browned Butter Nougat
- How to make nougat - peanut butter nougat
- Fluffy rich chocolate nougat
Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!