A great homemade gift idea for the festive period, cut the nougat into pieces, bag up and tie with ribbon for a lovely edible gift for friends and family.
Main ingredients
- Chocolate
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
- 150g whole blanched almonds
- 400g dark chocolate, over 65%
- 12 mint leaves
- 50ml flavourless oil
- A pinch of sea salt
- 150g raspberries
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Method
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1Toast the almonds lightly in a dry pan until golden. Stir regularly to ensure they do not burn. Set aside and allow to cool.
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2Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water - ensure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water otherwise your chocolate will burn. Finely chop the mint leaves and add to the bowl. Allow the chocolate to slowly melt, stirring occasionally.
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3Using a whisk, pour the oil into the melted chocolate and whisk until combined. Stir in the salt.
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4Line a Toughened Non-Stick Bakeware 33cm Rectangular Cake Tin with greaseproof paper, greased with a little butter or oil to help stick the paper to the pan. Use a piece of greaseproof paper that is slightly narrower than the width of the tray but longer in length to create paper handles that help easily release the chocolate once set.
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5Spread the almonds over the lined tin and carefully pour in the chocolate mixture. Gently knock the tin a couple of time and shake to ensure the mix fills every hollow and remove any air bubbles.
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6Cut the raspberries in half lengthways and press into the chocolate. Let the chocolate set at cool room temperature until completely solidified, approximately 4 hours.
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7Carefully release the chocolate block from the tray using the paper handles. Using a sharp knife, cut the chocolate into pieces of varying shape and size. Wrap in foil, parchment paper or in individual cellophane bags and then store in the fridge in an air-tight container.
• As this nougat includes fresh raspberries, be sure to keep it refrigerated and eat within a couple of days. To make your nougat last longer, swap fresh raspberries for the freeze-dried variety and your chocolate will last approximately a week.
• For an extra minty kick, add a teaspoon of mint extract to the melted chocolate. Be sure to use it sparingly.
• To speed up the setting process the nougat can be chilled in the fridge, but this will cause it to lose its shine a little. This does mean that you can then make a couple of batches at the same time.
