Hi Everyone,
First time posting...I don't know how long these threads stay active, but I hope someone reads my cry for help. I'm on my 6th batch of a raspberry pistachio nougat and I'm continually having problems with it weeping once cut. My recipe temperatures are:
honey to 130ºC
sugar/glucose to 150ºC
add cocoa butter melted to 45ºC
I have triple checked my thermometer. I use the same thermometer to make a chocolate nougat and a hazelnut nougat (with praline paste) and do not have any problems with those.
I temp the entire pot and am confident the whole pot has reached the desired temp.
I've experimented with cooking each syrup up to 5º higher.
I've torched the bowl after adding each syrup to further dry out the meringue - the resulting nougat was much stiffer than other batches/firmer to cut/chewier texture, but still wept out of shape 12 hours after cutting.
My only remaining hypothesis is that I need to whip the nougat longer to a cooler temp. That the cocoa butter is what allows the nougat to hold its shape and, in a sense, I need to pre-crystallize it before taking it out of the mixer. Is that the right theory?
I usually end up scraping it out when the motor on my kitchen aid sounds as if it's about to give up and die. I'm not sure it has the power to mix it any longer.
Maybe I should let the sugar syrups cool to a lower temp before adding to the meringue so the temperature has less far to drop?
I last made this nougat (with peanuts) a few years ago and didn't have this problem. I'm now working in a different kitchen. The only ingredient difference is that I'm using a locally produced farm honey instead of a commercially purchased one. I am skeptical that's a problem. And I previously only made the nougat in the fall/winter. But nougat should be stable at 70/73ºF, right?
I am open to any and all ideas. I've looked through Greweling's book and didn't find any additional ideas. Are there any other good (non-chocolate) confection books out there?
Nougat next day after cutting
IMG_4036.HEIC.pdf
Same nougat on day one, along with the chocolate and hazelnut which both keep their shape
IMG_3219.HEIC.pdf
