Mini almond, candied orange and sugar-free chocolate nougats
I've made it my mission to reduce the amount of sugar in my Christmas sweets as much as possible, and here's a successful attempt: mini almond and candied orange nougats dipped in chocolate. I know that doesn't sound low in sugar, but I assure you they are, and they turned out delicious.
Ingredients · Servings 14
- 200g of dark chocolate with no added sugar and gluten-free
- 200g ground almonds
- 50g slivered almonds
- 160ml orange juice (approximately 2 oranges)
- The peel of an orange
- 50g of cream for whipping
- 50g stevia
- 70g xylitol
Method · 3 h
- The first thing is to make the orange juice so that you can use the well washed peel. One half is cut into the smallest pieces possible and the other is grated. The pieces have to be cooked in the microwave covered with water until they are soft, at maximum power and in short bursts of time to make sure that they are always covered with liquid and do not burn. They will take approximately 6-8 minutes. Drain them and set aside.
- Put the stevia and xylitol in a saucepan over medium/low heat and when it has dissolved add the pieces of orange peel and the slivered almonds, let it caramelize for a few minutes stirring with a spoon, when the liquid starts to foam add 60ml of orange juice and continue cooking for a couple more minutes, add the cream and stir until it thickens a little.
- Remove from the heat and gradually add the almond flour to the mixture without stirring with the spoon, so that the mixture does not become too dry and hard. Add the rest of the orange juice until it is to your liking. Finally, add the grated orange zest and mix everything one last time. Let it rest and cool; ideally, it should have a texture similar to marzipan.
- Set aside a third of the chocolate and melt the rest in the microwave in 30-second bursts, watching carefully to avoid burning it. On a 900W microwave, I needed three bursts. Remove it and stir with a spoon to remove any remaining chunks. To achieve a crisp and shiny finish, it needs to be tempered. The easiest way is to add the reserved chocolate so it melts with the residual heat of the melted chocolate. This tempers it quickly and cleanly.
- The mold must be absolutely clean, with no trace of grease or water. To ensure this, once thoroughly washed with soap and water, let it dry completely and then wipe it with absorbent paper soaked in alcohol. Wait for the alcohol to evaporate completely, and you're ready. Fill the mold to the top with chocolate and tap it gently against the countertop to remove any air bubbles. Wait a few minutes for the chocolate to set; the thicker you want the chocolate layer, the longer you'll need to wait. Turn the mold upside down onto a container to drain any excess chocolate and place it in the refrigerator to harden for about 15 minutes. If the layer is too thin, repeat the process.
- Fill the nougat bars with the almond and orange paste, but don't fill them completely to the top. Leave a few millimeters free to cover them with chocolate later and seal them well. Melt the remaining chocolate again and spoon it onto each nougat bar. Smooth it with a spatula or knife, making sure the edges are smooth and clean, and refrigerate again for at least 2 hours. This recipe makes 14 good-sized nougat bars, and you'll have half the filling left over—enough to make a nougat bar. You'll just need more chocolate to cover it.
- Eat healthy: these nougats are as light as they can be. We've replaced the sugar with stevia and xylitol at a percentage of each that significantly lowers the glycemic index, resulting in a very natural sweetness. You can lower it even further by increasing the amount of stevia and decreasing the amount of xylitol, or by replacing the xylitol with erythritol. In moderation, diabetics can indulge this holiday season, and those with celiac disease can too, as they are gluten-free. As a precaution, it's best to buy raw, peeled almonds and grind them at home in a food processor. Enjoy and happy holidays!
