Almond Nougat Parfait With Orange Coulis Recipes

TANGERINE SHERBET

Steps:

• Freeze the canister of an ice-cream maker overnight.
• Drop the gelatin and about 2 tablespoons of water into a small saucepan and turn your back on it. Strip the zest from two tangerines with a Microplane, a zester or, if you aren't that kind of person, a regular potato peeler. Toss the zest into a bowl (if you used a potato peeler, give it a rough chop first) and squeeze the tangerines, even the naked ones, removing any seeds, to make 1 1/2 cups of juice.
• Remembering the saucepan, put a little heat under it until the gelatin starts to look smooth, not grainy. Then stir in the sugar, salt, juice and zest and turn up the heat, letting it come to something like the temperature of your finger. Stir to make sure the sugar is dissolved, then chill it in the refrigerator. When it is cold, strain out the zest and toss the juice into the tank of your ice-cream maker along with the cream, which should be cold, too. Do whatever you usually do with your ice-cream maker until you have a creamy sherbet. With luck, you will have an extra hour to chill the sherbet before serving it. Tiny spoons will make it last longer, but not much longer. You might think about making twice as much.

ALMOND ORANGE NOUGAT

Steps:

• Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with aluminum foil that extends over the sides. Cut another square of foil to fit the top of the pan. Coat the foil in the pan and the foil square with 1 tablespoon of the butter, and set aside.
• In a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, cook the corn syrup, sugar, the water, and the salt until the sugar is dissolved (about 5 minutes), stirring constantly with a long-handled wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. Brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in warm water to prevent the sugar from crystallizing. Increase the heat to medium-high, place a sugar thermometer in the pan, and cook the mixture without stirring until it registers 250°F on the thermometer (about 10 minutes). Brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water two more times during the cooking process.
• While the sugar syrup is cooking, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until they are frothy. Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat the egg whites until they hold firm peaks (3 to 5 minutes).
• Remove the pan with the sugar syrup from the heat and pour one-quarter of the syrup into a glass measuring cup. With the mixer at medium speed, slowly pour the smaller amount of sugar syrup into the beaten egg whites, and beat until the mixture is firm (about 3 minutes). Return the saucepan to the heat and cook the remaining sugar syrup, without stirring, until it registers 300°F on the thermometer (about 10 minutes). With the mixer on medium speed, slowly pour the remaining hot sugar syrup into the egg whites, being careful not to drip the syrup down the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until the mixture is cool (about 15 minutes). Blend in the vanilla and almond extracts, beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, then blend in the chopped almonds and candied orange peel.
• Turn the mixture into the prepared pan. Spread it out smoothly and evenly into the corners of the pan. Place the square of buttered aluminum foil on top of the candy. Let the nougat set completely at room temperature (12 hours or overnight).
• Remove the top piece of foil from the candy, then remove the candy from the pan by lifting out the foil. Invert the candy onto a cutting board, peel the foil off the back of the candy, then reinvert so the top side is facing up. With a large chef's knife dipped in hot water and dried, cut the candy into 1-inch squares using a sawing motion.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Melt and temper the chocolate (see pages 25-30). Dip a piece of the nougat into the tempered chocolate, coating it completely. With a fork or dipper, remove the piece from the chocolate, carefully shake off the excess chocolate, and turn the piece out onto the paper. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Let the chocolate set up at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. When the chocolate is set, place each piece in a paper candy cup. Between layers of waxed paper, in a tightly covered container wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, the nougat will keep for 1 month in the refrigerator. The nougat is best eaten at room temperature.
• VARIATIONS
• Substitute other nuts for the almonds.
• Almond Lemon Nougat: Substitute candied lemon peel (a variation of candied orange peel, see page 212) for the candied orange peel, and substitute lemon extract for the vanilla extract.
• Almond Lime Nougat: Substitute candied lime peel (a variation of candied orange peel, see page 212) for the candied orange peel, and substitute almond extract for the vanilla extract.
• Almond Tangerine Nougat: Substitute candied tangerine peel (a variation of candied orange peel, see page 212) for the candied orange peel, and substitute almond extract for the vanilla extract.

ALMOND NOUGAT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add hazelnuts and whole almonds to cookie sheet. Toast until golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add sugar, corn syrup, honey, salt and water in a heavy bottomed saucepot (3 quart).
• Over medium heat, stir mixture until sugar dissolves.
• Continue cooking, without stirring until syrup reaches the hard ball stage, reading 252 degrees F. on a candy thermometer.
• Meanwhile, in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form.
• While mixer is on, in a thin steady stream, pour ¼ cup of hot syrup over egg whites, beating at high speed until mixture is stiff enough to hold its shape, about 5 minutes.
• Continue to cook the remaining syrup to brittle threads, reading 315 to 318 degrees F. on a candy thermometer.
• While mixer is on, in a thin steady stream, pour remaining hot syrup over egg whites, beating at high speed until mixture is stiff enough to hold its shape.
• Add vanilla extract, almond extract and butter, beating again for about 5 minutes.
• Stir in toasted nuts and ground almonds with a wooden spoon.
• Transfer mixture to a buttered 11 x 7 x 1 ¼-inch pan.
• Smooth the mixture evenly with a spatula.
• Refrigerate until firm.
• Loosen edges of candy with a knife. Invert nougat on cutting board.
• Cut into pieces. Store in airtight container.

CHEWY ALMOND NOUGAT

Steps:

• Heavily butter a 15x10x1-in. pan; set aside. Heavily butter a large bowl; set aside. In a stand mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture cones to a boil, about 10 minutes. (If sugar crystals are present, cover and boil for 1-2 minutes to allow steam to wash crystals down.) Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 238° (soft ball stage), about 6-8 minutes., With mixer running carefully and slowly add hot liquid in a steady stream over egg whites. Beat 10 minutes longer or until mixture holds its shape and is lukewarm. (Mixture will be beginning to lose its gloss.) Transfer to prepared bowl., For almond mixture, in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and corn syrup. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil, about 15 minutes. (If sugar crystals are present, cover and boil for 1-2 minutes to allow steam to wash crystals down.) With a clean spoon, cook and stir over medium-high heat until a candy thermometer reads 275° (soft-crack stage), about 15 minutes longer., Pour over mixture in bowl (do not scrape saucepan). With a large wooden spoon, stir until blended. Combine butter and vanilla; gradually add to almond mixture until blended. Stir in almonds and salt until blended. Transfer to prepared pan. Let stand at room temperature for several hours or until firm. Cut into squares. Wrap in plastic or waxed paper if desired.