Homemade Pistachio Nougat

Making candy in general isn’t the most difficult to do but it does require 100% of your attention for success, and that can be the difficult part. Don’t answer the phone, or reply to that text! You need to stay focused as one missed step can cause a flopped recipe. But I promise you it is worth it and it’s fun to learn how to make your own candy.

I’m here to help you along the way and to give you tips for a successful day of candy making! You may even enjoy disconnecting from the world while you get lost in the kitchen making your very own nougat. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll never buy store bought nougat again!

This homemade pistachio nougat is light, sweet, soft and chewy with pockets of crunchy pistachios and almonds. Who can stay no to that?!

Ingredients

Traditionally nougat is made 100% with honey. Here I’ve made my homemade pistachio nougat with half corn syrup and half honey as sometimes honey can be a little too strong in flavour and sweetness. I find the corn syrup evens out the honey. The pistachios and almonds balance the texture and sweetness in the recipe. The added step of toasting the nuts goes a long way. You can use all pistachios if you like, but it gets a little pricy so I like to add a more reasonably priced nut to the mix, like almonds. You can find all your favourite nuts at your local Bulk Barn foods store, where you can buy as little or as much as you like.

• Corn starch
• Icing sugar
• Pistachios
• Whole almonds
• Granulated sugar
• White corn syrup
• Honey, light coloured
• Water
• Egg whites
• Salt
• Vanilla extract

Tips For Successful Nougat

There are lots of tips that can further your success in candy making. Some are simple tips and others are more advanced. But one thing to remember is even the most advanced baker will have fails from time to time. So don’t be too hard on yourself and the more you make nougat the better you will get.

1. Plan ahead and get all your ingredients and equipment ready. When making pistachio nougat there will be times of waiting and then all of a sudden you’ll need to do everything at once. Neither cooked sugar or whipped egg whites can sit and wait. Be prepared and have everything ready to go so you don’t miss a beat.
2. Oil will be your best friend for working with sticky nougat; have some handy and a paper towel ready to go.
3. Make sure your egg whites are at room temperature and your bowl is clean and grease free. This will help with whipping your egg whites to a meringue.
4. Have a good quality candy thermometer. I prefer to use a digital thermometer reader but if you are using one that clips onto the pot make sure it isn’t touching the bottom of the pan.
5. Do not stir the pot of boiling sugar.
6. The sugar mixture needs to reach 280˚F (137˚C), not lower, not higher!
7. Make sure to have the pan lined, oiled and well dusted with icing sugar and corn starch.
8. When adding the boiling candy mixture to the egg whites, make sure to pour the liquid slowly and away from the whisk. Also make sure the mixer is on low speed.
9. Make sure to keep the nuts warm before adding them to the nougat. Keep the nuts in the oven (with the heat turned off) while you wait to add them.
10. Don’t rush the resting stage of the nougat. It needs lots of time to set.

How to Cut & Wrap Pistachio Nougat

1. • Use a large sharp chef’s knife to cut slices of the nougat. It may be helpful to lightly oil the knife between each cut, as the nougat can be sticky and difficult to slice through.
   • Cut into squares, rectangles or long strips.
   • Only cut slices/pieces of nougat when ready to serve or to wrap; otherwise leave it in the pan so it holds its shape. Since nougat is soft and pliable it will loose its shape over time. Typically this won’t happen for a few days but if you want nice clean cuts it’s best to wait.
   • Use wax paper to create your own candy wraps. Cut large rectangles of wax paper and simply wrap a piece of nougat and twist the ends closed.

Storage

Store nougat in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 2 weeks. Separate layers of the nougat with parchment paper or wax paper to avoid sticking. 

How To Make Pistachio Nougat

Step One: In a heavy saucepan on medium heat combine 1 cup of the sugar, corn syrup, honey and water. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil (without stirring) and continue to boil until a candy thermometer reaches 280˚F (137˚C), approx. 5 minutes.

Step Two: At the same time your sugar mixture is boiling (approx. halfway through) beat the egg whites and the pinch of salt in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat until foamy and slowly add the remaining 3 teaspoons of sugar to the meringue. Whisk until soft peaks form. 

Step Three: With the mixer running, slowly and very carefully add the hot candy syrup to the meringue in a steady stream away from the whisk. Turn the mixer to high and beat until the meringue is thick, tacky and slightly cool, approx. 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Pour half of the warm nuts into the meringue and mix the nuts in the mixture. Pour the other half of the nuts in and continue to mix. 

Step Four: Working quickly, pour the nougat mixture into the prepared pan. Let the nougat rest at room temperature for at least 4 hours or for best results let it sit overnight. 

Step Five: Cut slices of nougat using a large sharp knife and enjoy. If your knife is sticking to the nougat you may want to lightly oil it as well.

Or wrap pieces of nougat in wax paper to give as holiday gifts to friends and family. 

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FAQ’s

This blog post has been sponsored by Bulk Barn Canada where you can find all your baking needs! All opinions are my own and I’m so happy to work with brands I love so I can continue to share these recipes with all of you! I hope you guys get to a Bulk Barn soon and try out this recipe.

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