Start With A Box Of Dots For An Old-Fashioned Holiday Candy That Deserves A Revival

You can easily delight friends and family with a no-bake confection that combines novelty with tradition: gumdrop nougats. A box of Dots (or any other gumdrops), brings color, flavor, and whimsy to the classic old-school nougat, making it a great holiday treat, although it's tasty at any time of year.

While the most common type of nougat found in the United States today is in chocolate bars like Snickers, Three Musketeers, and Mars Bars, it is historically a standalone dessert with a firm chewy texture. Traditionally, nougat is made by whipping egg whites to create a meringue, which is then stabilized with hot syrup or honey and studded with nuts. It is a popular Yuletide treat in Europe, where it's known as turrón in Spain or torrone in Italy and often comes studded with nuts.

Luckily, there's a much easier modern-day dupe to making nougat than the traditional egg-whisk method. Melting down store-bought marshmallows with white chocolate creates a similar mild flavor and smooth gooey mouthfeel. Stirring in a box of Dots adds a joyful pop of color and textural interest.

Gumdrop nougat candies are incredibly simple to make with only four ingredients: Butter, marshmallows, white chocolate, and gumdrops. While Dots are good to use because they don't have a sugar coating like many other gumdrop brands, you can use any jujube-like candy. Dots come in various flavors, and to be extra festive, choose red and green Christmas Dots. The candies can be chopped into smaller pieces for a more mosaic-like effect, or left larger for a chunkier nougat.

Begin by gently melting the marshmallows together with the butter and white chocolate over a double boiler or in a microwave. Once homogenized, stir in the gumdrops. Place the nougat in a prepared baking dish lined with greased parchment paper and leave to cool in the fridge. Since the mixture will be very sticky and will cool quickly, you'll need to work fast. Once cooled, use a sharp knife to slice the nougat into squares. 

The adorable confections can then be separated with parchment paper and stored in an airtight container. The candies can also be frozen and defrosted later as a special delight for a holiday party or presented to friends in giftboxes.