Recipe: Syros Island Nougat

Syros Island Nougat

1 cup roasted pistachios and almonds
2 cups sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup oil for pan
cornstarch*

Roast nuts on shallow pan in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and cream of tartar in a deep sauce pot. Stir gently over medium heat until sugar dissolves and bring to a boil.

After it comes to a boil, cover pot for 5 minutes, then wash down sides of pot with a clean brush to remove sugar crystals. Continue cooking on medium-high heat to 272 degrees F on a jelly thermometer. Remove from heat.

In a separate pot heat honey to boil.

Whip egg whites and salt until stiff and dry using a heavy electric mixer and large bowl.

Add a small amount of honey at first in a thin stream, very slowly.

Beat in vanilla and continue adding remaining honey and then syrup. Beat until batch thickens and the beater slows down. Add nuts and blend in.

Oil a long shallow pan. Sift a thick layer of cornstarch or sweet rice flour over it or lay rice wafers over bottom. Pour out the nougat. Dust top with more rice flour or thin rice wafers and let stand overnight to set.

Cut into rectangular pieces about 3/4x1-inch and wrap individually in heavy waxed paper.

*Sweet rice flour or thin rice wafers may be used instead of cornstarch to line pan.

Source: The Complete Greek Cook Book by Theresa Karas Yianilos