Nuts, Seeds & Pastes
Nougat (Torrone) in gelato
Nougat, known in Italy as torrone, is a hard confection of caramelized sugar, honey and toasted nuts (usually almond or hazelnut) bound with whipped egg white. In gelato it is added as a semi-finished paste, and often with chopped inclusions, to deliver a honeyed, roasted-nut flavor plus a heavy sugar and solids load.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 93% |
| Water | 7% |
| Sugars | 52% |
| Fat | 27% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 11% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 50 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 60 |
Typical use: 6-10% of the mix (about 60-100 g/kg) as paste, plus optional chopped inclusions
Balance nougat (torrone) in a real recipe
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Nougat enters gelato mainly as a flavoring paste, typically alongside chopped torrone as an inclusion. It is a sugar-rich, high-solids ingredient (about 93% total solids, 52% sugars), so it adds a substantial sugar and freezing-point-depression load; reduce the added sucrose in the base to compensate or the gelato will freeze too soft and read too sweet. Its honey and invert sugars push PAC above plain sucrose, aiding scoopability, while the roasted-nut fat (around 27%) contributes body and richness. Treat it partly as a sugar and partly as a fat when balancing.
Origin & background
Torrone is documented in Cremona, Lombardy, where local tradition holds that a nougat confection shaped like the city's Torrazzo bell tower was served at the 1441 wedding banquet of Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti. Similar honey-and-nut confections trace back to medieval Arab cookery and to the Roman cupedia, and the sweet spread across Spain (turron) and southern France (nougat de Montelimar).
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- https://www.alimentinutrizione.it/tabelle-nutrizionali/202800
- https://www.nutritionvalue.org/La_florentine%2C_torrone_soft_nougat_by_Ferrara_Food_Company_Inc._1526661_nutritional_value.html
- https://www.eatthismuch.com/calories/torrone-almond-honey-nougat-candy-2267888
- https://www.mec3.com/en/products/gelato/flavouring-pastes/milk-gelato-flavours/nougat