The nougat cookies are delicious and tasty. If you have some nougat to use up, this is a great idea! A classic shortcrust pastry based on eggs, butter, sugar, and flour, made softer by the addition of baking powder and enriched with many pieces of soft nougat, in this case, almond nougat. Perfect to enjoy for breakfast, as a snack, or after meals, but they are also perfect for gifting.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 34 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Creative
- Seasonality: Christmas, Epiphany
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 5.3 oz nougat (soft)
- 1/2 cup butter (cold)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp wildflower honey
- 1 pinch fine salt
Tools
- Kitchen scale
- Stand mixer
- Paddle attachment
- Food processor
- Plastic wrap
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
- Refrigerator
- Bench scraper
Steps
To prepare the nougat cookies…
First, cut the soft nougat into pieces, then place it in the food processor and pulse for a few seconds. It doesn’t need to be finely chopped, a few larger pieces are fine.
Continue by adding the cold refrigerator butter cut into cubes and the granulated sugar to the bowl of the stand mixer equipped with the paddle attachment. Turn on the mixer for several seconds until a sandy mixture is obtained.
Then add the whole egg and, still operating the mixer, incorporate it into the just worked butter and sugar.
Now add the previously chopped nougat, the honey, and turn on the mixer again to mix the ingredients well.
Finally, add the fine salt, the all-purpose flour, and the baking powder. Turn on the mixer for the last time, increasing the speed until the mixture begins to come together.
Transfer the dough to a surface; it will be very compact and slightly sticky. Form a loaf, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
After the shortcrust pastry has rested, take a little dough at a time and form 20 g (0.7 oz) balls with your hands. You should get a total of 34 cookies.
Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them in a preheated oven at 350°F for 10 minutes in fan mode.
Once the cookies are baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool. When first out of the oven, they will be soft to the touch; they will become slightly harder in texture. The cookies are ready to be enjoyed.
Storage
They can be stored in an airtight container for 7 days in a cool, dry place.
Variations
You can replace the almond nougat with hazelnut nougat or other types of dried fruit nougat. You can also enrich them by adding chocolate chips.
