Flavor, tradition, roots, and culture are some of the words that define Alicante nougat. This traditional Spanish sweet of Arab origin is simply a blend of simple ingredients that give it a taste that has left a mark on this region and, more broadly, on Spanish culture.
Alicante Nougat is a sweet made from almonds and eggs, with almonds as the star ingredient. They make up nearly half of the nougat's composition and are left in whole pieces.
The other part of this prosportion consists of honey and eggs, which give it a caramelized consistency. This sweet is a tradittional treat during the Christmas festivities in Alicante and throughout Spain.
The origin of Alicante Nougat dates back to the Islamic and Hebrew cultures that are part of Catalonia's history. It is said that at that time, its preparation was already known, and it later became a tradition in the province and a Valencian hallmark that evolved from homemade to industrial production.
The most distinctive characteristic of Alicante Nougat is wuthout a doubt its high content of toasted almonds, which are mixed with the rest of the ingredients. This feature is achieve through the cooking through the cooking processs, which gives the almonds a crunchy texture. When combined with caraml formed by the honey and egg, it creates a contrast of textures onn the palate.
If you've read this far, your mouth is probably watering and you'll surely want to know the preparation process of this delicious traditional sweet from Alicante, which has long been one of the best representations of Spanish Christmas traditions. Below, we share the details of this delightful recipe.
The proportions we provide below are for approximately four peoople in a homemade preparation. If you wish to make a larger sweet, you will need to increase the quantities based on these measurements:
Once you have all the ingedients ready, you can follow the step-by-step instructions below.
It's important to understand that the stars of this Alicante preparation are the almons. If you want your nougat to turn out like a true sweet from Alicante, they should make up at least 46% of the misxture. On other hand, the honey should be of 100% Valencian origin.
1. Although the almonds are the most coveted part of this sweet, we'll begin with the honey. It provides the contrast of a caramel-like yet smooth texture. Place it in a saucepan over low heat until all the water has evaporated.
2. Nest, add the sugar. Keeping the saucepan over low heat, stir as you gradually add it, until both ingredients come together into a completely homogeneous mixture. The texture you're aiming for before removing it from the heat is similar to caramel.
3.Separately, beat egg whites. You can do this by hand-whisking vigorously- or with an electric mixer.
Once they reach stiff peaks, fold them into the caramel.
This step is what gives the nougat its pale color and slightly creamy texture.
4. Now it's time to select the almonds. We recommend not buying pre-toasted almonds, as they often contain salt, which would alter the flavor of the nougat. The best choice is raw Marcona almonds, which you can toast at home; they are excellent in quality.
5. After selecting and home-toasting the almonds, have a mold ready. Pour in the mixture of honey, sugar, and egg white along with the toasted almonds. Mix vigorously so the almonds are evenly distributed trhroughout.
6. Prepare the final mold that willl give the nougat its shape. Line it with baking (parchment) paper and lay down enough wafer sheets to cover the entire mold. Then pour in the mixture and spread it evenly with your hands or with a rolling pin.
7. At this point, decide on the thickneess you want for the nougat, bearing in mind that it will harden as it cools and will be more difficult to cut. Once you've spread it to your preferred thickness, place a wafer sheet on top to seal the nougat.
8.Finally, let it rest so it cools naturally at room temperature. After about an hour at most, the nougat will be at the perfect point for unmolding.
Do this very carefully so it keeps its shape and doesn't break.
Both sweets are very traditional Christmas specialties. They are both made mainly with almonds; however, they differ in that Jijona nougat contains all of its almond proportion ground, while Alicante nougat contains whole toasted almond pieces.
They also differ in their process: in Jijona nougat, the mixture of honey and eggs is ground to achieve a creamy, homogeneous texture, while in Alicante nougat, it is only mixed to evenly distribute the almond pieces.
This delicious sweet from Alicante is exclusive to the region and, although it is well known throughout Spain, it is difficult to find a place outside the area that offers the original flavor that takes us back to Christmas celebrations.
In this regard, our online store of artisanal nougat is an exclusive option, offering a catalog with all the varieties of nougat from the region.
Turrones Candela Espi is a factory of artisanal nougats, known for our wide variety of products and for the unique flavors and aromas of our nougats. We have a team of master artisans dedicated to carrying out a meticulous process to achieve the iconic homemade taste of Alicante's artisanal nougats.
