Nougat / Torrone Failures

[bobdrob]

I'm trying to get my B&P students to make holiday nougats. Our major problem is structure. Is there any stabilizer we can add to our basic recipe to prevent humidity collapse & weeping?  They taste great & look great for the first day, but when we get to the wrapping & packaging the next  day the pate already looks old, sad, saggy, & tired. All suggestions gratefully accepted.  regards,  bob

[keychris]

Did you beat enough moisture out of it?

[rickster]

I am pretty much a complete amateur, but I have used a Peter Grewling recipe for torrone from his Chocolates and Confections book for years and never had a problem. Does not have any special stabilizers. Regarding moisture, I'd note it requires use of a propane torch or painters heat gun while whipping the nougat to help drive off moisture.

Edited December 14, 2015 by rickster (log)

[gfron1]

This morning I had a craving for nougat so I pulled up the first recipe that google gave me, which was Ruhlman's on the Splendid Table website. I'm used to recipes that synch the timing of the boiling of the sugar and the honey and its always quite stressful. Ruhlman has you boil and set aside. I read and re-read the instructions thinking it was an error, but ploughed ahead with the recipe as written. It worked perfectly and of course it makes sense.

 

Once the sugar and the honey are their respective temperatures they have done what they need to do. They are still plenty hot to cook the whites. And in the traditional method the sugars still need to cool while they are whipping the whites, so why no cool them slightly before they even go into the whites. Makes complete sense.  Didn't shave much time off the process but it did eliminate the stress of the timing. 

On a side note, Planters now has a mix of nuts that is primarily pistachio with almond and cashew. It was perfect for the nougat.