New Year Nougatine

Happy New Year!  Are you looking to put a little crunch back into your life, or simply a good addition to your daily diet of ice cream?  How about these quick and easy nougatines?  I saw them being made on Professional Masterchef and was inspired...  to be honest, it was greatly helped by buying two silicone baking mats.  You have to work quickly, and be prepared for some heat in the kitchen!

This is a perfect dairy and gluten free treat to go with sorbet or ice cream.

Nougatine

Nougatine

6oz/150g caster sugar

3oz/75g flaked almonds

Have ready two silicone baking mats or two sheets of non-stick baking parchment and a rolling pin.  It also helps to use the baking tray the almonds were heated on. 

Toast the almonds in a hot oven (180 deg C) until lightly browned - only a few minutes, keep an eye on them!  Put the caster sugar into a pan and heat until it has dissolved, then keep heating until it has caramelised.  Don’t add any water, and stir it only lightly to get it all to dissolve, then, as it browns, whip it off the heat.  

This next bit is quite quick, and you have hot sugar in your hands, so read it through first! 

Add the almonds and stir to mix it all together, then pour it straight onto the parchment, immediately putting on the second layer.   Roll it all with the rolling pin until it is pretty flat and then, as soon as you can peel off the top layer, use a sharp knife or cutters to cut shapes before the nougatine becomes brittle and hard.

Allow it to set.

If you have any left, blitz it in a blender and it is praline.