Cranberry and Pistachio Nougat with Rose Water

Nougat is a classic crowd pleaser and with this festive recipe, everyone will be asking for more.
Here's what Wikipedia says:
"Nougat is a term used to describe a variety of similar confectioneries made with sugar or honey, roasted nuts(almonds, walnuts, pistachios or hazelnuts are common, but not peanuts) and sometimes chopped candied fruit. The consistency of nougat can range from chewy to hard depending on its composition, and it is used in a variety of candy bars and chocolates. There are two basic kinds of nougat: white and brown. White nougat is made with beaten egg whites and is soft, whereas brown nougat (called nougatine in French) is made with caramelized sugar and has a firmer, often crunchy texture."



This recipe is good, but nougat has consistency of the gummy candy. I was looking for something different, more crunchy, I quess. If you have some good recipes of the perfect nougat please, please, please let me know, my family loves them.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dry cranberries
• 3/4 cup whole almonds, toasted
• 3/4 cup whole pistachios, toasted
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 egg whites, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• pink food coloring
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter
• 1 tsp rose water

You also need:

• edible rice paper (This recipe also calls for edible rice paper, also known as wafer paper. The rice paper helps prevent the nougat from sticking to everything and makes it easier to cut, serve, and store the candy. It can often be found in Asian food markets and in some gourmet stores, or purchased online. I did not have it, so I did it without it, next time I am going to use it. If you cannot find any, line your pan with parchment paper or foil and spray it thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray. I did.)
• candy thermometer
• pan
• large stand mixer with whisk attachment

Direction:
Place the sugar, corn syrup, honey and water in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves, then use a wet pastry brush to wipe down the sides of the saucepan to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Insert a candy thermometer and continue to cook the syrup, without stirring, until the candy thermometer reads 252 degrees.
When the sugar syrup is nearing the proper temperature, begin to beat the egg whites until they are opaque with firm, stiff peaks.
Once the sugar syrup is at 252, carefully remove 1/4 cup of syrup and keep the rest of the syrup on the heat. With the mixer running, slowly pour the hot 1/4 cup of syrup in a thin, steady stream into the egg whites. Beat the whites at high speed for few minutes until they hold firm peaks.
While the egg whites are being beaten, continue to cook the rest of the sugar syrup until the thermometer reads 315 degrees.
Once the syrup reaches 315 degrees, remove the pan from the heat. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup slowly into the egg whites. Beat the whites on high until they hold the mixture is glossy and a thick ribbon forms when the whisk is lifted from the bowl.

 
Stop the mixer and add the vanilla extract, pink food coloring, rose water, salt, and butter. Turn the mixer back on until a thick ribbon forms when the whisk is lifted from the bowl. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the nuts by hand.
Prepare your pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray and lining the bottom with rice paper. If you don't have rice paper, line the pan with parchment paper or foil and spray it thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray.
Scrape the nougat into the prepared pan. It will be stiff! Use a rubber spatula to scrape the candy from the sides of the bowl. Spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray and press the candy into a thin, even layer. Allow the nougat to set overnight.
When you are ready to cut the nougat, spray a knife with nonstick cooking spray and run it along the edges of the pan to loosen the candy. Turn the nougat out onto a cutting board. Using a knife sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, cut the nougat into small squares or rectangles.
Your nougat is now ready to eat! If you will not be serving it immediately, it is a good idea to wrap the pieces in waxed paper so that they do not spread and stick together. Store the nougat in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Springerle Cookies at our house and early winter at Omni Spa Resort in Bedford Springs, PA

My introduction to these elegant oval cookies happened fairly recently, but it was love from first sight. When I saw these beauties while browsing a Christmas book, I knew I had to learn how to make them. I found out that I would need special molds in order to attempt to make these cookies, and that’s when my search for information has began.
It turns out, these cookies came to us from Europe - Switzerland and Germany started making these about 400 year ago simply as a New Years postcard. The cookies were made in different sizes with different pictures, and people would exchange them when they would come for a visit. This makes such a special and a unique gift for any holiday. These cookies keep fresh for a long time - an astounding 6 months (if you can keep yourself from eating all of them in one sitting - yes, they’re that good!).  And people say that they even get better with age (like a good wine) because of the added spices. Currently we use vanilla extract, lemon, orange and even rose water, but the traditional Springerle cookie is made with anise.
I loved this story so I decided to try it myself. First I needed to buy the special molds, which wasn’t a simple task. The history of these molds is interesting as well - they were cut out from the pear tree, and there were special masters to carve them out. I found one company  House on the Hill  which has a great collection of these molds, but they don’t come cheap, so I only bought 2 so far. Of course, they are no longer made from the tree, but the pictures are the same as used 400 years ago :)

I hope you will fell in love with them as I did. Perfect gift for any Holiday.

Adapted from House on the Hill

These whisked-egg holiday cookies date back to at least the 1600’s and are made in Bavaria, Switzerland and the Alsace area of France. For eating quality, ease and quality of prints this recipe is just perfection!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon baker’s ammonia (Hartshorn) or baking powder, better to find baker’s ammonia
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened but not melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of anise (if substituting fruit flavored oils, use 3 teaspoons)
• 2 lb. box sifted cake flour (Swansdown or Softasilk), I use all-purpose flour, I like it better
• grated rind of orange or lemon – optional (enhances flavor of the traditional anise or the citrus flavors)
• more flour as needed

Tip: The original recipe calls for the addition of cake flour, but I used regular white flour. I think the picture is more clear with this flour and doesn’t “bubbles” while baking.

Directions:
Dissolve hartshorn in milk and set aside for about 30 minutes. Beat eggs till thick and lemon-colored (10-20 minutes). Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, then the softened butter.
Add the hartshorn and milk, salt, preferred flavoring, and grated rind of lemon or orange, if desired.
Gradually beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer, then stir in the remainder of the 2 lbs. of flour to make stiff dough. Turn onto floured surface and knead in enough flour to make a good print without sticking.
Follow general directions from House on the Hill for imprinting and drying cookies.



Bake on greased or baker’s parchment-lined cookie sheets at 255° to 325° till barely golden on the bottom, 10-15 minutes or more, depending on size of the cookie.
Store in airtight containers or in zipper bags in the freezer. They keep for months, and improve with age. Yield 3 to 12 dozen (depending on the size of the cookie).



I made these cookie a few days ago, but we went on a little weekend getaway, so I’m only now sharing this recipe. Our trip was planned a few weeks ago, since we really wanted to see the beauty of autumn in the Pennsylvania mountains.
Imagine our surprise when we were awaken to a snow covered landscape our first day there. The kids were excitedly jumping and running around, and it was like we woke up in a wonderful Christmas fairytale.
This place turned out to be a historical landmark, over 200 years old and it was built on the mineral springs, and was recently renovated.
Enjoy my photo-reportage from our getaway.



From The History of Bedford Springs:

"Bedford Springs Resort is truly an American original. With its growing list of wealthy clientèle, it gained a reputation as a luxury destination and was proclaimed as the Most Popular Resort in the United States."



"The Native Americans first used the mineral springs for their curative properties, and in the late 1700's they shared the powers of the springs with a doctor named John Anderson. In 1796, Dr. Anderson purchased the 2,200-acre property on which the resort now stands. He built a home on the property and as word spread of these unique waters, visitors arrived from around the globe to experience them. He housed the guests in tents and offered custom prescriptions for guests based upon their needs."



We had our "Afternoon tea" of course :)



This trip inspired me bake more elegant desserts to reflect the spirit of the coming winter.