Alicante nougat is a traditional almond, honey and egg white nougat, very popular in Spain, where it comes from. Do you want to learn how to make it easily at home? We explain the steps with two recipes that you will surely love.
There is no doubt that Christmas becomes a deliciously wonderful time to enjoy, in moderation, of course, a wide variety of typical Christmas sweets, among which are many that enjoy a great tradition, whose origin dates back even to quite a few centuries.
In fact, we could almost say that each country has its own traditional Christmas sweets, so depending on the country we are in, we may be able to enjoy a series of specific desserts.
This is the case of, for example, Spain, where it is usual to enjoy the traditional -and wonderful- nougat .And what precisely are the most popular and classic? Without a doubt, two stand out above many others (although today we can find a wide variety of nougat in Christmas markets for all tastes): the one known as nougat from Jijona and the exquisite nougat from Alicante. .
What is the origin of Alicante nougat?
On the one hand, the origin of nougat must be found around the 16th century, in which there is historical evidence that at that time there was already a sweet introduced by the Arabs in the town of Sexona (current Jijona).
But there are many doubts about its specific origin. For example, some historians point out that its origin was possibly due to a contest proposed by the Arabs, with the intention of finding a nutritious food that would be kept in optimal conditions for consumption during long stays, and that in turn would be easily transported by the various Arab armies without fear of intoxication.
However, other historians indicate that nougat arose from the hand of a Barcelona artisan surnamed Turró, who made a food with raw materials that were left over during the time, in order to consume it in times of scarcity.
Alicante nougat recipe. Learn to do it at home
As we will see below, the truth is that the Alicante nougat recipe is very simple both to follow and to prepare. You dare? Below we will tell you what ingredients you need, and the steps to follow to make it easily at home.
Main ingredients (for 4 people):
- 650g toasted almonds
- 200g of sugar
- 350g of honey
- 2 egg whites
- 1 package of wafers
- 3 tablespoons of water
- 4 drops of anise
Steps to make Alicante nougat:
- Choose a saucepan or casserole, and in it make syrup with the sugar and water to the point of a hard ball, having enough consistency.
- Meanwhile, in another saucepan, heat the honey. Once you see that it is liquid, join it to the syrup by working it with a wooden spatula. Now put it on the fire so that it becomes caramelized.
- Beat the egg whites to the point of snow.
- Now add the split almonds, the egg whites to the point of snow and the anise to the syrup.
- Work with the spatula until it is combined.
- Pour it into molds with the wafers on the bottom. Of course, under them put a white paper.
- Now smooth and place another wafer, then put a wooden board on top with some weight on it, keeping it that way for a few days.
Another delicious recipe for nougat from Alicante
As you can imagine, there are different options when making Alicante nougat. If you didn’t like the previous version very much, here’s another option that you’ll surely love, because it’s somewhat simpler.
Ingredients:
- 820 grams of almonds
- 1kg of honey
- 250 grams of sugar
- 2 egg whites
Preparation of Alicante nougat:
- Put the honey in a saucepan and heat it over low heat for at least 40 minutes. It is necessary that the water that produces the honey as a result of the heat evaporates.
- Turn off the heat and now add the sugar to the saucepan of honey and mix well with the help of a spatula or wooden spoon, until well mixed. Reserve it.
- Carefully separate the yolks from the whites, and beat the egg whites.
- Add the beaten egg whites to the previous mixture and beat everything well, until mixed.
- If you bought the toasted almonds you should skip this step. Otherwise, and you have bought them raw, it is necessary to toast them first. To do this, put them in a pan, and sauté them well until they are dark (but without burning).
- Add the toasted almonds to the previous mixture and mix everything well, until a uniform paste is formed.
- To finish, line the mold where you are going to reserve the nougat with baking paper, and pour the nougat mixture into it, spreading it well. Finally, let cool for a few hours.
What is extremely simple? Following these steps you will be able to make traditional nougat from Alicante, to surprise your guests at home during these Christmas holidays. Oh, and Merry Christmas!
