TABELIA

AUTHENTIC RECIPE

Nougat Glacé ProvençalProvençal Frozen Nougat

Provençal Frozen Nougat
Difficulty★★★★☆ Prep35 min Cook10 min Rest6 hr servings4

A frozen dessert from Provence combining Italian meringue made with hot honey syrup, whipped cream, fragrant nuts and candied fruit. The traditional technique creates an airy, light texture using the meringue’s bubbles alone, without an ice cream maker. By translating the elements of nougat—honey, nuts and candied fruit—directly into a frozen dessert, it becomes a summer dish of southern France.

Recipe developed and reviewed by the Tabelia Editorial TeamUpdated
100/ 100

AUTHENTICITY SCORE

Authenticity Score

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Ingredients (4 servings)

  • Lavender or multifloral honeyIts distinctive aroma directly shapes the finished dessert. Reduce to 118°C and pour into the meringue.100 g
  • Egg whitesFor the Italian meringue2
  • Heavy cream, at least 40% fatChill thoroughly and whip to medium-firm peaks.300 ml
  • Whole unblanched almondsDry-toast and coarsely chop.50 g
  • Shelled unsalted pistachiosDry-toast and coarsely chop. Add green color.30 g
  • Candied orange peelCut into 5 mm dice.50 g
  • Frozen raspberries for the sauceFor the accompanying coulis150 g
  • Granulated sugar for the sauceFor the raspberry sauce30 g

Method

110 min

Chop the nuts and peel

  • 1 Dry-toast 50 g almonds and 30 g pistachios in a frying pan over medium heat; when fragrant, remove and coarsely chop.
  • 2 Cut 50 g orange peel into 5 mm dice.
  • 3 Line a loaf tin, about 18 × 8 cm, with plastic wrap.
25 min

Whip the cream to medium-firm peaks

  • 1 Whip 300 ml well-chilled cream to medium-firm peaks, with visible whisk marks, then refrigerate.
35 min

Reduce the honey syrup

  • 1 Place 100 g honey in a small saucepan over medium heat and reduce to 118°C; without a thermometer, look for large bubbles throughout and a thread falling from a spoon.
  • 2 MeanwhileWhile reducing the honey, begin whipping 2 egg whites in a bowl until a firm white foam forms.
46 min

Make the meringue with the hot syrup

  • 1 Pour the hot honey in a thin thread into the whipped egg whites while continuing to whisk.

Ready when

Proceed when the bottom of the bowl has cooled to body temperature and the meringue is glossy and thick.

Caution

Hot honey is dangerous if it splashes. Pour slowly toward the edge of the bowl.

55 min

Combine the nougat mixture

  • 1 Add the whipped cream to the meringue in 2 additions, folding with broad movements from the bottom using a rubber spatula.
  • 2 Once no white streaks remain, add the chopped nuts and orange peel and briefly mix.
66 hr

Fill the tin and freeze

  • 1 Pour into the lined tin, level the surface, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours.
78 min

Make the raspberry sauce

  • 1 Before serving, make the raspberry sauce.
  • 2 Place 150 g frozen raspberries and 30 g granulated sugar for the sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes until the fruit breaks down and thickens, strain to remove the seeds and leave to cool.
85 min

Slice and serve

  • 1 Lift from the tin with the plastic wrap and cut into slices 2 cm thick using a warmed knife.
  • 2 Plate and serve with the raspberry sauce.
A view of Valensole, Provence
Valensole, ProvenceFrance Photo: Grafixart-Photo · CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized; display cropped)

About this dish

In Provence, honey-and-almond nougat is indispensable among the 13 desserts that end the Christmas meal. Nougat glacé translates the components of that traditional sweet—honey, nuts and candied fruit—directly into a frozen dessert.

A relatively recent confection, it is said to have become widespread as a restaurant dessert in the latter half of the 20th century. Without an ice cream maker, the method relies solely on air bubbles in honey Italian meringue and whipped cream for lightness. Because it can be reproduced at home without special equipment, it has become a classic for summer entertaining.

During the lavender-blooming summers of Provence, a white slice with raspberry sauce ends dinners in gardens and on terraces. The fragrance of local honey determines the character of the finished dessert, making this frozen sweet a reflection of the Provençal landscape.

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