Peanut Butter Nougat

If you still need some more sweets for your Christmas table, this peanut butter nougat is a quick last minute addition. It comes together in five minutes and then takes care of itself while firming up in the fridge. It is rich and creamy, and melts on your tongue with an addictive chocolate vanilla flavor with a hint of peanut butter. When it comes to serving, it can be served sliced on marzipan, dipped in chocolate, or just as is, because it is so delicious it needs no ornaments.

If you are still not persuaded that this nougat is good (which it must be when it has chocolate and peanut butter, right?), I can tell you that I was seriously considering if I would have to make a new batch. Yes. I was thinking the first batch would never make its way to the Christmas table. Why? With a family of taste testers (myself included), it seemed like half the nougat mixture magically vanished within minutes — even before it was chilled and everything! I was seriously afraid happy thinking I would have to make a new batch, which I did because we liked it so much, and you will too!

There are two versions of this peanut butter nougat. Both are based on (as the name implies) creamy peanut butter with cocoa, powdered sugar, and soy flour. For the melty version, which is my favorite, a little melted coconut oil is also added. The melty version is firmer, as the coconut oil hardens in the fridge, and it just melts on your tongue. However, if you don’t have coconut oil (oils that don’t harden won’t work), or don’t want to add the extra oil, I can tell you that the simple version is also delicious. Below are both nougat versions so you can pick which one you want to try!

Melty Version:
1 Tbsp. cocoa or carob powder
2 Tbsp. soy flour
4 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
6 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter (such as Jif)
1/4 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp. vanilla sugar, optional

Simple Version:
1 Tbsp. cocoa or carob powder
2 Tbsp. soy flour
3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
6 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter (such as Jif)
1/4 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp. vanilla sugar, optional

Now, you might be wondering what soy flour is doing in this peanut butter nougat. It is not so usual an ingredient but important for the texture of the nougat, as it firms it up. However, since I know you might not have soy flour on hand (you can buy it here*), I will give you some recommendations for alternatives. You could try soymilk powder, coconut milk powder, almond flour, or oat flour. I have not tried any of the above but believe they should work, even though the texture of the nougat will not be exactly the same. If you try any soy flour alternative, please let me know how the nougat turned out!

Mix all ingredients for either the melty or simple version in a deep bowl with a fork or in a small food processor.

Shape the mixture into a log on cling wrap or a plastic bag, and roll it up tightly, tying the ends.

Refrigerate for three hours or overnight for the nougat to firm up. Keep the nougat refrigerated till serving time.

Cut the nougat in slices to serve. It is delicious on slices of marzipan, dipped in chocolate, or just as is.

For the printable recipe, visit http://creativevegancooking.com/2014/12/peanut-butter-nougat/

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Thank you!