Chocolate nougat with puffed rice is a variation of the classic Neapolitan ‘torrone dei morti’, a dessert that is never missing in Naples during All Saints’ Day and the Commemoration of the Dead.
Tradition has it that, precisely in these days, these rich and delicious nougats are prepared and given as gifts, symbols of sweetness and memory, capable of uniting affection and taste in a single bite.
This version, unlike the classic one, features a shell of milk chocolate that serves as a bed for a cream made of melted white chocolate and white hazelnut cream in which a myriad of puffed rice grains are scattered, giving extreme crunchiness to the whole preparation.
Making it at home is very easy, even if (alas!!) not exactly cheap, but it is definitely more affordable than buying it in a pastry shop. Perfect as a gift or to enjoy with family, this chocolate nougat with puffed rice is a crunchy treat that celebrates the sweetness of memory and the goodness of chocolate in a version all to be discovered.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then…let’s cook and eat!!
See also
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 5 Hours
- Portions: 8
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Day of the Dead, Christmas
Ingredients
- 7 oz milk chocolate
- 18 oz white chocolate
- 7 oz hazelnut cream (white)
- 2.5 oz puffed rice
Tools
- 1 Mold for nougat 9x3x3
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Brush silicone
- 1 Spatula silicone
- 1 Knife
Steps
Preparing chocolate nougat with puffed rice is truly easy and quick to prepare, though you’ll have to wait a few hours in the fridge to enjoy it.
Let’s see all the steps in detail.
First of all, if you’re using chocolate bars, chop them with a knife.
Then melt half of the milk chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler and pour it into the nougat mold.
Make sure to coat both the bottom and the sides of the mold evenly, then place it in the fridge to quickly solidify the chocolate.
Meanwhile, take the other half of the milk chocolate and melt it, take out the mold and make a second layer of melted chocolate.
In this phase, you have to be very quick (help yourself with a silicone brush) because the first layer of chocolate, now cold, will tend to solidify the second layer more quickly. Put the mold back in the fridge.
At this point, take the milk chocolate, cut it into smaller pieces, collect it in a large bowl, and melt it in the microwave or in a double boiler.
Once melted, add the white hazelnut cream, puffed rice to the white chocolate and mix to combine everything.
Pour the filling into the now cold chocolate shell, smooth it well, insert the mold’s lid (or cover with cling film if using a silicone or aluminum mold), put everything back in the fridge and let the nougat settle for at least 3-4 hours.
Tip
Unmold the nougat while it’s still very cold, this way you avoid the chocolate walls from melting and sticking to the mold walls.
