Chocolate and Peanut Butter Nougat Squares

 

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Nougat Squares

As frequent readers will know, Streusel and I will pretty much stuff chocolate in to any recipe we can. Streusel, in particular, gets creative with it. I’m super in love with peanut butter and chocolate together, in any form, at anytime. And since I’m perpetually researching ways to increase opportunities to eat my favorite flavor combination, why not use Candy Month to try out my hand at something new? Chocolate Peanut Butter Nougat Squares it is, then!

 

Extra bonus: you get to look like a fancy-pants for making homemade chocolates AND they’re surprisingly easy to make.

 

 

The recipe comes from Saveur, and I’ll admit that, at first, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to make it – it looked fussy. It was only after reading the recipe a few times over that I realized that I not only own all the ingredients (and that it gave me the opportunity to use up some of the horrendous powdered milk I’ve had it my cupboard for about 4 million years) but it actually isn’t that hard. And I was pleasantly surprised to see how quickly the nougat came together – with the right equipment, it was actually quite simple and not time consuming.

 

The nougat does need to sit for a bit to cool down and firm up. After that, they need to be dipped in the melted chocolate, and fair warning: while this task is not at all hard, it does take a bit of time. After that, sprinkle with salt, allow to harden up (I put mine in the fridge to speed up the process), and then they’re good to be gobbled! (or gift, I suppose, if you’re the generous sort).

 

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Nougat Squares

Print
clock clock icon cutlery cutlery icon flag flag icon folder folder icon instagram instagram icon pinterest pinterest icon facebook facebook icon print print icon squares squares icon

Chocolate Peanut Butter Nougat Squares


  • Author: Saveur
  • Yield: 60-100 candies, depending on size 1x
Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 1⁄4 cups light corn syrup
  • 1⁄2 cup unsulfured molasses
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 3⁄4 cup dry powdered milk
  • 1⁄2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 lb. semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. vegetable shortening or coconut oil
  • Sea salt, to garnish

Instructions

  1. Spray a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Combine sugar, 1 cup corn syrup, molasses, and 3⁄4 cup water in a 6-qt. saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 250°. Meanwhile, put remaining corn syrup, vanilla, and egg white into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter, powdered milk, and confectioners’ sugar and stir until smooth; set peanut butter mixture aside. When syrup reaches 235°, begin to whip egg white mixture on high speed. Once the syrup reaches 250°, remove pan from heat and let sit 1 minute. Reduce mixer speed to medium and carefully pour hot syrup into the center of the egg whites in a slow, steady stream. After all the syrup is added, increase speed to medium-high and beat for 4 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer and, using a rubber spatula, fold in peanut butter mixture gently but quickly until well combined. Transfer to prepared baking pan and smooth with a rubber spatula; let cool to room temperature.
  3. Remove nougat from pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1″ squares and set aside. Combine chocolate and shortening in a medium heat-proof bowl and set over a pot of simmering water. Heat, stirring often, until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove bowl from pot and let chocolate cool until an instant-read thermometer reads 89°.
  4. Using two toothpicks or a candy dipping fork, dip a square of nougat into the chocolate, shake off excess coating, and place candy on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper. Sprinkle squares with a small pinch of sea salt while chocolate is still liquid; repeat with remaining nougat squares, chocolate, and sea salt. If chocolate cools below 86°, set the bowl over the pot of simmering water and heat, stirring constantly, until it returns to 89°, then continue coating nougat squares. Let chocolate cool to room temperature and set before serving.

Notes

The only change I made was to sub coconut oil for vegetable shortening, since I was out. The rest of the recipe is as-written from Saveur.

  • Category: dessert
Posted on
This entry was posted in chocolate, desserts, gift ideas and tagged , , , , .
     

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *