Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Nougat
Even when you think you know everything about someone special to you, you really don’t…am I right? I love divinity candy. My favorite candy bar is 3 Musketeers bar. It’s fair to say I love nougat. Pretty much everyone that knows me knows that. Yet, I had no idea that my extremely talented best-sister-friend knows how to make it. Not just nougat, peanut butter nougat. Dipped in milk chocolate. Oh. My. Goodness.
Aaaaand…did you know that Monday (March 26th) was National Nougat Day? It was! So in honor of National Nougat Day, and in celebration of Easter, we present to you: Peanut Butter Nougat dipped in milk chocolate and decorated for Easter. Move over, Peeps, there’s a new Easter candy in town!
If you like the transfer decorations, you can find a great selection at Chef Rubber. Just cut them a little bigger than your pieces and lay them atop the candies after dipping them in chocolate and press lightly into the chocolate with an offset palette knife. Allow chocolate to set completely and gently remove.
Cook the syrup, without stirring to 255 degrees.
Dip the nougat in your favorite chocolate.
Decorate as desired.
Enjoy!
Peanut Butter Nougat (adapted from Peter P. Greweling’s Chocolates and Confections)
Meringue:
- 1 large egg white
- 3 oz (1/4 cup) light corn syrup
- 1 TBS vanilla extract
Syrup:
- 16 oz (2 cups) granulated sugar
- 6 oz (3/4 cup) water
- 12 oz (1 cup) light corn syrup
- 6 oz (1/2 cup) molasses
Additions:
- 2 oz (3/4 cup) milk powder
- 2 oz (1/2 cup) confectioner’s sugar
- 9 oz (1 cup) peanut butter
Coating:
- Milk or dark chocolate, tempered or chocolate coating
Lightly oil a 9 x 13 pan and an offset palette knife.
Combine the egg white corn syrup and vanilla for the meringue in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whip attachment. Do not begin whipping yet.
Sift together the milk powder and confectioner’s sugar and set aside.
Combine the granulated sugar, water, corn syrup an molasses in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil covered for 2 minutes, remove lid, insert a thermometer and continue to cook without stirring. When the syrup reaches 233 degrees, begin to whip the egg whites on high speed.
When the syrup reaches 255 degrees remove from heat and immediately pour into the whipping egg whites in a slow and constant stream. Continue whipping for 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the milk powder mixture by hand with a large rubber spatula. Mix in the peanut butter by hand as well. Spread into prepared pan and use the offset palette knife to spread evenly. Allow nougat to cool completely then cover and let rest at room temperature overnight.
Cut nougat into desired shapes using a well-oiled knife or small cookie cutters. Dip in tempered chocolate or coating and decorate as desired.
Makes about 60 – 1 ¼” pieces, depending on shape