Soft Vanilla Nougat

Preparation 1 Put the ice in a medium bowl and set aside. 2 Put the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and set aside. 3 Stir together the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil without stirring until the mixture reaches 235°F/114°C on a candy thermometer, about 6 minutes. 4 Begin whipping the egg whites on low speed for about 1 minute, just until they are a little frothy. Continue cooking the sugar syrup until it reaches 245°F/118°C. (If your temperature goes higher, shock the syrup by setting the pan in the bowl of ice.) Pour a splash of the syrup into the egg whites, aiming for the space between the rim of the bowl and the whisk attachment. Continue whisking as you slowly add the rest of the hot sugar syrup. Increase the mixer speed to medium and whip until the nougat reaches a full, frothy foam, about 2 minutes. 5 Add the vanilla seeds and salt to the nougat. Keep whipping until it forms stiff peaks, about 3 minutes more. Allow to cool in the bowl. Once it is at room temperature, it's ready to use in candy-bar production. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the freezer for 2 months. (If frozen, thaw an hour in the refrigerator before using.) Reprinted with permission from Hand-Crafted Candy Bars by Susie Norris and Susan Heeger, © 2013 Chronicle Books

Preparation 1 Put the ice in a medium bowl and set aside. 2 Put the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and set aside. 3 Stir together the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil without stirring until the mixture reaches 235°F/114°C on a candy thermometer, about 6 minutes. 4 Begin whipping the egg whites on low speed for about 1 minute, just until they are a little frothy. Continue cooking the sugar syrup until it reaches 245°F/118°C. (If your temperature goes higher, shock the syrup by setting the pan in the bowl of ice.) Pour a splash of the syrup into the egg whites, aiming for the space between the rim of the bowl and the whisk attachment. Continue whisking as you slowly add the rest of the hot sugar syrup. Increase the mixer speed to medium and whip until the nougat reaches a full, frothy foam, about 2 minutes. 5 Add the vanilla seeds and salt to the nougat. Keep whipping until it forms stiff peaks, about 3 minutes more. Allow to cool in the bowl. Once it is at room temperature, it's ready to use in candy-bar production. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the freezer for 2 months. (If frozen, thaw an hour in the refrigerator before using.) Reprinted with permission from Hand-Crafted Candy Bars by Susie Norris and Susan Heeger, © 2013 Chronicle Books