[DeletedAccount53]

I only have one which is very popular called Cherry, fennel and white chocolate-pistachio nougat - which can be made to be enjoyed any time!

But if you have any homemade recipes for the holiday season please post them on my thread. Then they won't get lost down the pages.

This nougat recipe by Claire Ptak is taken from her book The Violet Bakery Cookbook, published in March by Square Peg (£20).

Nougat has a cousin in America called Divinity. Soft meringue-like candies that are filled with nuts and fruit. Tart cherries, sweet white chocolate and pistachios meld together very well here. The fennel adds a special note of warming spice that balances it all out, and surprises you.

Makes about 10 nougat bars

rice paper 3 A4 sheets
whole almonds 100g, skins on
pistachios 200g
glacé cherries 100g
white chocolate 100g, in chunky pieces
fennel seeds 2 tsp
egg whites 2
caster sugar 350g
fine sea salt ¼ tsp
vanilla 1 tsp
water 50g
golden syrup 1 tbsp
honey 100g
real gold leaf 3-4 sheets (optional)

Heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4 and lightly oil a 20x30x5cm baking tin and line with one sheet rice paper. Cut a second sheet of rice paper in half lengthwise and press against the long sides of the tin. Set aside.

Toast the almonds on a baking tray in the oven until lightly golden. This should take about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the pistachios to the almonds to simply warm the pistachios a little. Let the nuts cool before chopping roughly.

Gently heat a clean dry frying pan and add the fennel seeds. Warm them through but watch closely so that they do not burn. You just want to release their fragrant oils.

Place the egg whites with 100g of the caster sugar, salt and vanilla into the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk to stiff peaks, then turn off the mixer and leave there while you make the syrup.

Put the water, remaining caster sugar and golden syrup into a heavy bottomed pan and set over a medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally to assist the melting of the sugar but not stirring which can cause crystallization.

Once melted, turn the heat up to medium high and add a candy thermometer. Heat until the syrup reaches 164C – this should take 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, gently warm the honey (do not let it boil) and set aside while you wait for the sugar syrup to reach temperature.

Turn the mixer back on, whisking the whites again slowly as you drizzle in a slow steady stream the sugar syrup followed by the honey. Turn up the speed to high and continue to whisk until the mixture is pale, fluffy and thick.

You will need to work quickly now, to get everything mixed in properly. Add the nuts, cherries, white chocolate and fennel seeds to the egg white mixture and fold together well.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with a palette knife or if the mixture is too dense already, press down with damp hands.

Place the remaining sheet of rice paper on top.

Lay a piece of baking paper over the rice paper and place a chopping block or heavy book on top to weigh it down.

Leave to set for about 3-4 hours before turning out and cutting into 10 bars, cross-ways.

Press bits of gold leaf onto the top of the nougat bars. It is better to cut the bars first as the knife cutting through the gold leaf can damage the delicate gold.

Wrap in baking paper and twist the ends. Will keep for up to a week in an airtight container.

Except they won't last that long!