I’ve been devotedly bringing you all the latest and greatest in candy for a couple months now and I just can’t take it any longer, Candy Addicts. There’s something you should know about me and I think the time has come. I have a mistress and her name is dark chocolate. It’s true, and I’m sure many of you can understand: I like it dark. The darker the better. I almost never waste myself on sub 70% cocao count and I revel in a good 72, 80, and even 85%. So I’m sure you can imagine my thrill when I recently found not one but two 86% dark chocolate bars just sittin’ on the store shelves, callin’ out my name. And with it being an Olympic year and all, I’ve got competition on the brain, so what choice did I have, really, other than to have a dark chocolate face-off?

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It’s a rare event for me to pick up a candy bar these days, because I tend to find myself reaching more for gummi things, or sour things, or fancy chocolates. A recent purchase (okay, complete and utter gorge) at a local candy store brought these to my attention. Being a sale item and European to boot, I had to have one (or possibly two. Not that I would admit to that.)

Nougat, of the European variety, is nothing at all like you find in a Snickers bar. It’s not a foamy, aerated, vaguely malty thing sandwiched between other things. Good nougat is something special; something which has very few ingredients and definitely nothing resembling sucrose or milk powder.

Traditional nougat is usually made with egg whites, honey and/or sugar, cooked together to achieve a white creamy consistency. It often includes roast nuts and dried fruits, and is often sold in bars or blocks lined with rice paper. It’s a popular Italian treat (where it is known as torrone) but you can find it in various guises all through Europe. Nougat in this form can be anything from very chewy to rock solid and can often include more exotic ingredients like dried cranberries, pistachios, and coffee.
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