Vegan Nougat Cookies
Sometimes, on the weekends, I love strolling through the market—browsing for new ingredients, picking up some pretty flowers for the kitchen table, and trying a few treats. On my last market walk, I found a little stall with all sorts of traditional cakes and pastries: moist crumb cake, sugary pig ears, raspberry torte, and even my beloved nougat rings! These were always a special treat when I accompanied my dad to the bakery on Saturdays to pick up rolls. A big crunchy cookie with a thick roll of nougat on top, all dipped in dark chocolate. Simply heavenly!
Unfortunately, the nougat rings at the market weren't vegan, so I quickly went home to my kitchen to bake a vegan version of this classic. The cookie base is super easy to make. Just a handful of ingredients and it tastes soooo good! If you're up for a new twist on the classic, knead some cocoa powder into the cookie dough and swap the dark chocolate for vegan white chocolate. You can also mix some caramelized sugar brittle (Krokant) or roasted chopped hazelnuts into the melted chocolate before coating the rings with it. That gives them a wonderful crunch!
For a zebra pattern, melt some vegan white chocolate and drizzle a few specks over the finished covered rings using a fork.
Vegan Nougat Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookie dough:
- 250 g (8.75 oz) wheat flour (Type 405)
- 150 g ( 0.66 sticks) cold vegan butter
- 100 g (0.5 cups) sugar
- a pinch of salt
For the nougat filling:
- 450 g (16 oz) firm nougat
- 150 g (0.66 sticks) vegan butter
- A pinch of vanilla
Also:
- 300 g (10.5 oz) dark couverture chocolate (60% cocoa)
Instructions
For the dough, place the flour, vegan butter, sugar, and salt into a bowl and quickly knead until smooth. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C / 350 °F (convection) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough out on a work surface between two sheets of parchment paper to about 3 millimeters thick, then use a cookie cutter or drinking glass to cut out 12 dough circles. Use a smaller cutter to cut a hole in the center of each circle. Place the rings on the baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes at 180 °C / 350 °F (convection) until golden brown. Let the cookies cool completely on the sheet.
For the filling, cut the nougat and vegan butter into small cubes. Heat both in a pot with vanilla, stirring until a smooth, creamy mixture forms. Transfer the nougat cream to a bowl and place it in the refrigerator until it becomes firm and creamy (about 1 hour). Fill the mixture into a piping bag with a large round tip and pipe one or two thick rings onto each cookie, depending on the desired thickness. Place the cookies in the fridge briefly to let the nougat cream firm up.
For the coating, finely chop the dark couverture chocolate and melt it in a water bath. If desired, you can stir chopped nuts into the chocolate. Dip each cookie into the melted chocolate and nougat side first. Tap the cookies gently to remove excess chocolate, then place them back on the parchment paper and allow them to set completely.
