Cherry Nougat Bites Recipes

CHERRY NOUGAT BITES

Steps:

• Combine condensed milk, vanilla essence and sugar in a mixing bowl.
• Stir in powdered milk and cherries with a wooden spoon until combined.
• Turn mixture onto surface lightly dusted with icing sugar.
• Knead until smooth.
• Divide mixture in half.
• Roll each half between your palms into a rope 2.
• 5cm thick.
• Dust with extra icing sugar.
• Refrigerate until firm.
• When firm cut into 2.
• 5cm pieces.
• Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

DRIED CHERRY NOUGAT GLACE

Steps:

• To make the praline, combine the sugar and water in a sauce pan and cook mixture, stirring and washing down any sugar crystals with a brush dipped in water, until mixture is clear. Let it cook, undisturbed, until deep golden.
• To caramelized sugar add the hazelnuts. Stir to coat.
• Oil a marble slab. Pour the mixture onto the marble, smooth it into even layer and let it cool completely. Once cooled, chop into approximately 1/4- inch pieces.
• To make the Italian meringue, combine in a pan the sugar, lavender honey, and the water. Cook it following same procedure as for praline, until a candy thermometer registers hard ball stage 248 degrees.
• Beat 3 egg whites to soft peaks. With machine running add, in a stream, the cooked sugar syrup. Beat until completely cool.
• Macerate 1 1/2 cups dried cherries in 1/4 cup kirsch for 30 minutes. Then drain over a bowl Whip 2 cups heavy cream.
• Fold half the praline, half the drained cherries and half the whipped cream into the meringue. Then do it again. Transfer to an 8 cup terrine, lined with plastic wrap. Cover mold with plastic wrap and freeze overnight. Unmold, remove the plastic wrap, and slice.

PISTACHIO-CHERRY NOUGAT BITES

Steps:

• Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, letting foil extend over edges of pan by 2 inches. Spray with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, honey, and 3⁄4 cup water. Cook over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 260°. While sugar mixture cooks, in a large bowl, beat egg whites and reserved vanilla bean seeds at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. When sugar mixture reaches 260°, remove from heat. With mixer on low speed, carefully and gradually add sugar mixture to egg whites. Add extracts. Increase speed to medium-high; beat 12 minutes. Add pistachios and cherries. Beat 3 minutes. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Top with almonds, pressing gently. Let stand 8 hours. Lifting edges of foil, remove mixture from pan. Cut into 2-inch squares. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.

CLASSIC NOUGAT

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Scatter the nuts over a baking tray and toast in the oven for 10 mins, then set aside (they don't need to cool). Cut the two pieces of rice paper to fit a 20 x 20cm square tin. Line the tin with one sheet of rice paper, brush the sides of the tin with oil, then dust the tin with icing sugar.
• Put the honey into a saucepan, then in another saucepan tip in the sugar, glucose and 100ml of water. Put the egg whites in the very clean bowl of a tabletop mixer with a whisk attachment and whisk on a low speed. Heat and boil the honey until it reaches 121C on a digital cooking thermometer, then straightaway pour the honey over the egg whites and set the speed to medium. While the whites and honey are whisking, bring the sugar and water to the boil and keep boiling until the syrup reaches 145C exactly on a digital cooking thermometer. Pour the hot syrup in a slow, steady stream into the beating egg white mixture. Continue beating for about 10 mins until you have a thick, glossy, firm meringue. It's hard to over-whisk at this stage but easy to under-whisk, so keep going until the meringue looks like sticky chewing gum.
• Use a spatula to stir though the nuts (which should still be warm), the vanilla extract and a small pinch of salt. Scrape the mixture into the lined tin, then smooth over to spread the mixture out evenly (if you have an offset spatula, now is the time to use it). Finally, top with the remaining sheet of rice paper and press down. Leave the nougat to set for at least 2 hrs or overnight.
• To turn out and portion, use a spatula to loosen the edges of the nougat away from the tin, then invert the tin on to a clean board and use a sharp serated, hot knife to portion into bars or squares. The nougat will keep, stored in an airtight container, for up to a month.

BROWNIE CHERRY BITES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F
• Combine brownie mix, butter, water, eggs and almond extract in large bowl; stir just until combined.
• Stir in 1/2 cup cherries and chocolate chips.
• Place foil mini baking cups into mini muffin pans.
• Spoon about 1 tablespoon chocolate mixture into each cup.
• Bake for 13 to 18 minutes or until centers are just set.
• Cool completely.
• Remove from pan.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
• Garnish with cherries, if desired.