We are entering into the time of year when chocolate is at the top of everyone's treat list.

Children are about to be inundated with chocolate eggs from every family member, friend and acquaintance you have ever had and our Easter desserts are set to be rich and indulgent (did you see our chocolate recipe spread from our springtime food magazine?).

I know this is a rarity, but what if you just aren't a fan of chocolate?

Personally, I love chocolate in certain instances, but I'm not a fan of most chocolate bars or Easter eggs on the market.

I enjoy things such as brownies and hot fudge, but only when they're combined with something sweet and creamy, such as a good-quality vanilla ice cream. When I'm handed the dessert menu at restaurants, I'm that person who chooses the cheese board.

Over the years, I have found that I really enjoy desserts with dried fruit (such as dates) and nuts mixed through to cut through the sweetness.

Janine was surprised to find so many varieties of nougat available when visiting Brussels. / Janine Kennedy

Several years ago, I visited Brussels for a weekend away and while I was expecting to be blown away by the chocolate, I was not expecting to see the amount of nougat on offer in its many sweet shops.

Nougat is delicious - it's sweet, chewy, nicely flavoured and is chock full of fun ingredients.

Anything goes if you make it yourself. You can add in any nut, dried fruit or flavouring to make your nougat tailored to your preferences.

My nougat is probably not as nice as the ones you can buy in Brussels or France (and there is a great Irish nougat producer - Miena's Handmade Nougat - if you would like to try it without making your own), but it hits the spot when I'm craving something sweet.

It takes a bit of practice but the end result is worth it. / Janine Kennedy

I should note that this isn't just for people who don't like chocolate - you could absolutely take this recipe a step further by dipping the finished nougat in chocolate or giving it a generous chocolate drizzle. But it is a great chocolate-free alternative too.

Nougat with nuts and dried cranberries

Store your nougat in between sheets of parchment to avoid sticking. / Janine Kennedy

Makes approximately 12 bars

Ingredients

1 egg white, room temperature

pinch of sea salt

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

250g caster sugar

125ml honey

2 tbsp water

275g mixed nuts (such as pistachios, walnuts, pecans or almonds), toasted and roughly chopped

125g dried cherries or cranberries, roughly chopped

A neutral-tasting oil, like sunflower or grape seed, for handling the nougat

Directions

  • 1 Toast and roughly chop the nuts. Set aside.
  • 2 Cover a baking sheet in cling film and oil it lightly. Make sure there’s plenty of overhang. Get two pieces of parchment paper and lightly grease one side of each. Set aside until ready to use.
  • 3 Add the sugar, water, cinnamon and honey into a saucepan. Heat to dissolve the sugar, then, with the heat turned to high, boil this mixture for 3-5 minutes. If using a candy thermometer, you want to cook this mixture until it reads 120°C. You want the sugar and honey to reach the soft-ball stage of cooking – that means, if you drop a bit into cold water, it turns soft and pliable, but firm enough to mould.
  • 4 While the sugar mixture is boiling, beat the egg white with the sea salt until soft peaks form (I use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment for this).
  • 5 Once the sugar mixture has boiled to the right consistency, gradually - and slowly - pour it into the egg white while mixing on medium-high. When drizzling the hot sugar into the egg white, aim for the side of the bowl - otherwise the whisk will make the hot syrup fly everywhere.
  • 6 As the hot sugar mixture is absorbed into the egg white, you should notice the meringue becoming stiffer and glossier. This is what you want. When all of the sugar syrup has been poured into the meringue, continue to beat for 8-10 minutes until you’ve got a firm, but still pliable and mixable meringue.
  • 7 Now, you can add the nuts and dried fruit to the mix (while it’s still pliable). Grease your hands with a bit of oil to prevent sticking and use them to mix the nuts and fruit (the mixture might still be pretty warm, so be careful!).
  • 8 Once the fillings are mixed in, move the nougat to the lined cookie sheet. With one greased parchment sheet on the bottom, press the nougat into the corners and flatten it out with your hands. Put the other greased parchment sheet on top to smooth and even it out over the cookie sheet.
  • 9 Allow to set for at least two hours before removing it from the cookie sheet. When you move it, use the overhang from the plastic wrap to lift it up.
  • 10 Take a sharp knife and dip it in boiled water to heat the blade (dry off the water with a towel). Then use the hot knife to portion the nougat into equal sized bars. If you find it a bit sticky, you can coat the bars in icing sugar or dip them in chocolate.

  • 11 Store the nougat in between pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container. It will keep for several weeks.

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