Marzipan Nougat Cookies (gluten-free)
These marzipan nougat cookies are a must-have in my house during Christmas time. I mean, so are many other cookies because I always go crazy and bake waaay too much, but let´s not get into that now :) If you are not following a gluten-free diet, you can make these cookies with normal all-purpose flour as well, or use any other cookie dough for cookies that don´t lose their shape in the oven, like sugar cookies for example. These marzipan nougat cookies look more complicated than they actually are, and they are really beginner-friendly. Just give them a try!
If you are in search for some other tasty cookie recipes make sure to check out my:
Why you´ll love these cookies:
- They are absolutely delicious
- they are gluten-free
- they are very decorative
- they are easy to make
- you will make your marzipan/nougat-loving friend, partner or familiy member the happiest person on earth
These marzipan nougat cookies consist of 3 components:
The cookie- for this recipe, I decided to go with plain cookie dough, flavored only with a little bit of vanilla sugar. The reason for that is that I wanted marzipan and nougat to be the dominant flavors in this recipe. However, if you want to spice things up a bit, you wouldn´t go wrong by adding some cinnamon or orange zest to the dough.
Nougat- the nougat part consists only of pure nougat. The only thing you have to do is melt it, pour it on the already-baked cookie, and let it cool down. Just to clarify, the nougat I am using here is also in other areas known as Gianduja. It consists of chocolate, hazelnuts, and sugar. It has a chocolate-like consistency but is much softer.
Marzipan- For this recipe, you will have to combine the marzipan with the egg whites until you get a smooth and lump-free texture. I recommend you use a high-quality marzipan with a higher percentage of almonds, as that will bring more flavor to your cookies.
How should you store marzipan nougat cookies?
You should keep these cookies in an airtight container in a cold place. I usually bake these during winter so I just keep them in a room that is not being heated. They keep fresh for a week or two for sure. They will probably stay good even longer. Just let your eyes and nose guide you. If they still look and smell good, they are most likely good to eat.
- 200 grams gluten-free flour
- 30 grams sugar
- 10 grams vanilla sugar (you can substitute for vanilla extract)
- 3 egg yolks
- 125 grams butter (cold)
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 300 grams marzipan
- 3 egg whites
- 10 grams vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract)
- 300 grams nougat
- For the cookies:
Preheat the oven to 160 C. Combine the cold butter with flour and baking powder until everything is well incorporated. Gradually add all the other ingredients and knead until you get a nice-looking cookie dough. If your dough is too soft at this point, leave it in the fridge for a couple of minutes. Roll out the dough and cut out circles using a cookie cutter or a glass. Mine were about 4 cm big but you can make yours as you prefer. Put the cookies on a baking tray.
- For the marzipan paste:
Cut your marzipan into small pieces and add egg whites and vanilla sugar to it. Mix it with a hand mixer until you get a creamy and lump-free consistency. This is really important. If your marzipan stays lumpy, you will have problems piping the paste with a piping bag. Once your paste is nice and creamy, put it in a pipping bag and pipe circles on the cookies following the edge of the cookie. Now you can put your cookies for baking. Bake them between 10 and 15 minutes. You will see marzipan is starting to get a nice golden color. Get the cookies out and let them cool at room temperature.
- It´s nougat time!
Once your cookies are nice and cooled, melt your nougat in a water bath. Put it inside of the marzipan ring using a teaspoon or a pipping bag and leave them to cool down.