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Classic, chewy almond and honey nougat with festive printed wafer paper – perfect for the holidays!

So this Christmas thing is nearly here. It’s a pretty popular holiday, although I’m not gonna lie, I’m really only in it for the people, the presents, the food, and the Christmas cake. (Which is food, but it’s special food so I’m counting it on its own.)

And speaking of special food, I’m also pretty partial to nougat at this time of year. My best friend asked me to describe it to her once and I couldn’t really come up with anything better than “it’s kind of a nutty chewy honey thing”. Maybe it’s something that’s better tasted than it is described?

I jazzed up this festive almond and honey nougat with printed edible wafer paper in a snazzy graphic Christmas tree pattern from Kiwicakes.

There are so many cute printed wafer papers out there, so you can find one to match whichever festive mood you happen to be in

Of course, if you’re making this at another time of year, or can’t get your hands on any printed wafer paper, regular plain white wafer paper is just fine.

I used one sheet of printed paper as the top sheet and used plain wafer paper on the bottom.

You could even get kids to draw on some plain wafer paper with edible markers for a personalised treat. How cute would that be for an end of year teacher gift?!

Close up showing the Christmas tree printed edible wafter paper.

The nougat recipe itself is a pretty classic nougat flavour, honey gives the nougat both its flavour and its chew, and the toasted almonds give it a delightful crunch.

You could, of course, add other things as well as or in place of the almonds. Any other kind of nut would work, and dried cranberries or red glacé cherries would be rather festive too!

Almond and Honey Nougat Making Tips:

You do need a candy thermometer for this recipe – if you don’t have one already I highly recommend getting a probe thermometer because you can also use it to check if your cake is baked all the way through. They’re handy like that.

Lining the cake pan with non-stick baking paper makes it easy to remove the nougat for cutting. You can spray the pan with oil to make the baking paper stay in place, or do as I did and use metal binder clips.

A square cake pan lined with baking paper, with a piece of printed wafter paper print-side-down in the bottom of the pan.

A perfect gift, right?

Almond and honey nougat being cut into strips and then pieces.

Pieces of almond and honey nougat in a white glass bowl on a festive red background.

Festive Almond and Honey Nougat

Classic sweet and chewy almond and honey nougat with festive printed wafer paper, perfect for the holidays.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 25

Cuisine: Italian

Category: Other Sugary Goodness

Author: Natalie | Sweetness & Bite

Makes: 32 pieces

Ingredients

200 g blanched almonds skin removed
2 sheets edible wafer paper
440 g caster sugar
¼ cup corn syrup or liquid glucose
¼ cup honey clear honey or liquid honey
¼ cup water
2 large egg whites

Instructions

Heat oven to 180°C.
Spread the almonds into a single layer on a baking tray, and bake for 5-8 minutes or until lightly toasted. Allow to cool and then roughly chop them.
Line an 8" square cake pan with baking paper, leaving some overhanging each edge. Trim two pieces of wafer paper to fit the pan. Place one inside (I placed the printed sheet of paper in, face down) and set the other piece aside.
Place the egg whites into the clean, grease-free bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Combine the caster sugar, corn syrup, honey and water in a medium saucepan. Stir over a medium heat without boiling until most of the sugar has dissolved. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to wash away any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan, then increase the heat and boil, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 150°C.
Meanwhile, when the syrup is at about 140°C (284°F), start whisking the egg whites on medium-high speed. You're aiming to have the egg whites at stiff-peak stage by the time the syrup reaches 150°C (302°F).
Once the syrup is ready, and with the mixer still running on medium speed, pour the syrup in a thin stream into the egg whites. Continue whipping for a further 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is thick, stiff and shiny.
While it’s beating, spray a couple of silicone spatulas with oil (or rub them with a paper towel dipped in oil).
Working quickly, use one of the oiled spatulas to stir the almonds into the egg white mixture. Scrape the mixture into the prepared cake pan, pressing into an even layer. Place the second sheet of wafer paper on top. Leave the nougat at room temperature for several hours to set.
Lift the nougat from the pan, and use an oiled knife to cut it into pieces. I find it easiest to score through the wafer paper with a serrated knife, and then use a large chef's knife to cut down through the nougat. I cut mine into 1" x 2" pieces.
Store the nougat in an airtight container, with baking paper between each layer to stop it from sticking. Nougat will keep for 1-2 weeks at cool room temperature. If it's very humid where you live, then it's best to make the nougat as close to serving as possible.

Notes

Mix-ins: You can replace the almonds with any mix-in of your choice – pretty much any nuts and fruits make great nougat flavourings.

Wafer paper: Edible wafer paper with Christmas/Holiday-themed prints is available from cake decorating suppliers. I bought mine from Kiwicakes.

Equipment notes: You need two important pieces of equipment for this recipe: a candy thermometer and a stand mixer. I wouldn’t suggest making this recipe with a hand-held mixer, the nougat mixture gets very stiff and it could break the mixer!

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