Nougat de Tours

Nougat de Tours is a baked confection of layered fruit and almonds made in the Touraine region of west-central France. Despite the word nougat in its name, it differs in both appearance and method from nougat, which is made by boiling down honey or sugar and mixing in nuts.

A sweet tart pastry base is spread with apricot marmalade and small pieces of candied fruit. This is covered with an almond macaronade, baked and dusted with powdered sugar. A single slice offers the pastry base, the sweet-tart fruit and the almond top layer. The candied fruit adds aroma and texture, while the apricot marmalade binds the base to the top layer.

Nicolas Léger, a pastry chef in Tours, presents one version in which candied fruit is soaked in kirsch and combined with apricot marmalade. The macaronade on top is made with egg whites, almonds and sugar. Whether kirsch is used and which fruits are chosen vary from shop to shop, and the recipe presented by a regional association includes no step for adding alcohol. A recipe introduced at an international exchange class in Takamatsu City uses dried fruit such as raisins and orange peel.

Fénétra, from Toulouse in southwestern France, also has a version made by layering apricot and almond over tart pastry. Nougat de Tours adds candied fruit to that combination. The fruits used and the finish vary by maker.

One story links the origins of this confection to Touraine during the Renaissance. Even if almonds and candied fruit were popular at that time, it is uncertain whether the confection in its present form existed then. Today the confection is carried on by local artisans, and an association founded in 1998 also works to promote it.

Glossary