Raisin Nougat

This is a classic American kitchen-candy version of nougat, the kind grandmothers made before chocolate bars stole the show. Instead of the traditional French nougat’s whipped egg whites and honey, this old-school recipe leans on jarred marshmallow cream for the airy base. The trade-off is dramatic time savings without much loss of texture.

The hard-crack stage (285 to 290°F / 140 to 143°C) is non-negotiable. Underboil the syrup and the candy stays sticky and won’t set. Overboil and you get a brittle that shatters instead of chewing. A reliable candy thermometer earns its keep here.

Cocoa butter is the secret to the silky finish. It melts at body temperature, giving the nougat a slight cool-melting sensation against the tongue that vegetable shortening can’t replicate.

Pro Tips

• Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan, thin pans scorch the sugar before it hits temperature
• Stir constantly until the syrup reaches temperature, then immediately remove from heat
• Work fast once the marshmallow cream goes in, the mixture stiffens within a minute
• Butter your pan and a knife generously, this candy sticks to everything
• Cool completely at room temperature, do not refrigerate or the texture turns grainy

Variations

• Swap raisins for chopped dried cherries or cranberries for tart contrast
• Add a half cup of toasted chopped almonds or pistachios for crunch
• Substitute orange or vanilla extract for the lemon for a different flavor profile