Nougat de Tours

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Nougat de Tours is a sweet pie named for the city of Tours where it originated. It is round, tart-like, with a base of sweet shortcrust pastry layered with apricot jam and diced candied fruit and covered with a macaronade of whipped egg whites, sugar, and ground almonds. Its roots go back to the Renaissance era when candied fruits and almonds were prized in local kitchens, and early references appear in the nineteenth century as a “travel cake” that could be stored for several days, with the recipe later falling out of common use before being revived in the twentieth century and promoted by local pastry cooks and guilds. The preparation begins by mixing flour, sugar, butter, a pinch of salt, and an egg to make a sweet shortcrust dough, chilling and lining a tart ring or pan with the dough, spreading a thin layer of apricot jam over the base and sprinkling evenly with candied fruit, then preparing the macaronade by whisking egg whites until stiff before folding in sugar and finely ground almonds; the macaronade is poured over the fruit and the tart is baked at moderate heat until the top sets and gains light color, with a final dusting of powdered sugar after cooling. Variations include slight changes in the ratio of fruit to jam and the choice of candied fruits used, with some makers using a broader mix of candied peels. Nougat de Tours is eaten at room temperature as a dessert or afternoon sweet, typically cut into wedges or squares, and it pairs with black coffee, unsweetened tea, or a lightly sweet white wine from the Loire Valley.