Almond Dacquoise Food

ALMOND DACQUOISE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Invert a 7-cup bombe mold onto 1 parchment-lined baking sheet, and trace perimeter. Turn over parchment. Brush traced circle with butter, and dust with flour. Brush another parchment-lined baking sheet all over with butter, and dust with flour.
• Beat together almonds, 1/2 cup superfine sugar, and the confectioners' sugar in a large bowl with a mixer. Beat together egg whites with a mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in remaining 1/2 cup superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form. Fold into nut mixture.
• Spread meringue into traced circle to form a round slightly thicker than 1/4 inch. Fit a large pastry bag with a 1-inch flat tip with a serrated edge (such as Ateco #9897). On the second baking sheet, use serrated side to pipe 3 overlapping lines to create a 3-inch square. Repeat to create 11 more squares.
• Bake dacquoise round and cookies until they are dry on top and lift easily from parchment, about 1 hour, rotating halfway through. Turn off heat; let cool in oven 1 hour. If it isn't too humid, dacquoise can be stored at room temperature, well wrapped, 1 day (if humid, use immediately).

DACQUOISE

Steps:

• This is how the original was posted!
• Cream all ingredients together for meringue shell and fill with filling.
• Bake at 400 for 10 min until set.
• Serve cooled.
• THIS is how I believe it should read:.
• Preheat oven to 375'F.
• Prepare 3 9" circles of baking paper on baking trays.
• Mix together the ground almonds & cornstarch.
• Beat egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peak stage with an electric mixer.
• Very slowly add the sugar while continuing to beat until stiff.
• Fold in the cornstarch & almond mix.
• Spread evenly on the three circles and bake for 20mins until golden brown.
• Cool and when ready to assemble remove from paper.
• For Filling:.
• Stir together the egg yolks, vanilla and coffee and let stand for 5mins.
• Add the cocoa and sugar and beat for about 4mins until fluffy.
• Beat in the butter 1Tbsp at a time until all added and beat until fluffy.
• Chill for about 30mins.
• Whip cream, sugar & vanilla together for topping and covering sides.
• To assemble:.
• Place a circle of meringue on a flat plate.
• Spread over half of the butter cream.
• Place second circle on top and spread over remaining butter cream.
• Place third circle on top and spread top and sides of the Dacquoise with the whipped cream, reserving some for piping rosettes around the top edge.
• You can also place an almond or a chocolate leaf on each rosette if liked.

ALMOND DACQUOISE

Steps:

• ALMOND DACQUOISE.
• Combine almonds, powdered sugar, and cornstarch; set aside.
• Place egg whites in bowl of electric stand mixer. Turn to medium-high and whip until foamy. Add salt and cream of tartar and continue whipping until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in sugar, vanilla and almond extract, beating until stiff peaks form. Reduce to low and quickly add almond mixture, mixing just until blended.
• Using a pastry bag fitted with large (1/2-inch) plain tip, pipe mixture onto greased and floured baking sheets to form 3 (8-inch) circles. Bake at 250 for 35-45 minutes and cool on aluminum foil. Fill and frost with chocolate buttercream filling.
• CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FILLING.
• Place egg yolks in bowl of electric stand mixer. Turn to medium-high and whip 2 minutes. Stop and scrape bowl.
• Reduce speed to medium and gradually add powdered sugar, chocolate, butter and vanilla; continue beating until fluffy, about 5 minutes.

HAZELNUT-MOCHA DACQUOISE

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, 12 to 15 minutes; let cool completely. Combine 1 cup each hazelnuts and sugar and the potato starch in a blender or food processor and pulse until very finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a bowl as a guide, draw three 7-inch circles on the parchment with a pencil (2 circles on 1 piece and 1 circle on the other); flip the parchment so the markings face down.
• Put the egg whites, 1/2 cup sugar and the salt in a large heatproof bowl. Set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm, 2 to 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff and shiny but not dry, about 2 minutes.
• Fold the milk and one-quarter of the egg white mixture into the nut mixture with a rubber spatula until smooth, then fold in the remaining egg whites until just combined. Divide the batter among the 3 circles on the parchment and spread evenly with an offset spatula to fill the circles. Bake 1 hour, 30 minutes, then switch the position of the pans and continue baking until firm, dry and golden, 1 to 2 more hours. (The layers are done when they easily peel off the parchment.) Let cool slightly on the baking sheets; peel off the parchment and transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the ganache: Put 1 cup cream in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave until very hot, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the chocolate and espresso powder until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until cold, thick and spreadable, at least 30 minutes. Make the whipped cream: Combine the remaining 4 cups cream and 1/3 cup sugar in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium speed until it barely holds soft peaks, 1 to 2 minutes. Finish beating the cream by hand with a whisk until soft peaks form; do not overbeat.
• Put 2 meringue layers on a baking sheet; spread half of the ganache on each, to the edge. Refrigerate until set, 15 minutes. (If the ganache is too firm to spread, microwave in 20-second intervals to soften.) Place one of the ganache-topped meringues on a platter. Spread with 1 cup whipped cream. Stack the other ganache-topped meringue on top; spread with another layer of whipped cream. Top with the last meringue, then cover the top and side of the cake with the remaining whipped cream. Chop the remaining 1/3 cup hazelnuts and sprinkle on top of the cake along with the shaved chocolate. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight before serving.

ALMOND AND CHOCOLATE DACQUOISE WITH CRANBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and, using an 8-inch round cake pan as a guide, trace 3 circles on parchment (2 on one sheet and 1 on other). Turn parchment over (circles will show through paper).
• Make meringue layers:
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat whites with cream of tartar and salt until they hold soft peaks. Add sugar all at once and vanilla and beat until meringue holds stiff glossy peaks. Fold in almonds gently but thoroughly and divide meringue evenly among parchment circles, spreading to fill in circles.
• Bake meringue layers in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, 1 hour, or until firm and pale golden. Remove parchment from sheets and cool meringue layers on it on racks. Carefully peel off parchment and put meringues, smooth sides up, on a work surface. Meringue layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, in a cool dry place.
• Make cranberry sauce:
• In a heavy saucepan combine cranberries, preserves, sugar, water, and lemon juice and simmer until thickened slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Cranberry sauce may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.
• In a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and transfer chocolate to a sealable plastic bag. Seal bag, pressing out excess air. Squeeze chocolate to one corner and snip off corner as close to edge as possible to make a 1/8-inch hole. Drizzle chocolate over smooth sides of meringues (do not spread to coat) and chill, uncovered, until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.
• In a bowl beat cream with sugar and vanilla until cream holds stiff peaks.
• Assemble dacquoise:
• Put 1 meringue layer, chocolate side down, on a cake plate and spread evenly with about half of whipped cream. Repeat layering in same manner with another meringue, remaining whipped cream, and remaining meringue. Dacquoise may be assembled and kept in a cake keeper, chilled, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.
• Garnish dacquoise with chocolate leaves and sugared cranberries, Slice dacquoise with a serrated knife and serve chilled with cranberry sauce.
• To make the chocolate holly leaves:
• In a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth, and remove double boiler or pan from heat. With a 1/2-inch pastry brush coat underside of each leaf about 1/8 inch thick with chocolate. Chill leaves, chocolate sides up, until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes, and carefully peel off holly or lemon leaves. Chocolate leaves may be made 1 week ahead and kept frozen, in layers separated by wax paper in an airtight container lined with wax paper. Makes 15 chocolate leaves.

ALMOND DACQUOISE WITH STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Make meringue layers:
• Preheat oven to 275°F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Trace three 12- by 4-inch rectangles on parchment (2 on one sheet, at least 2 inches apart, and 1 on the other), then turn over.
• Pulse together almonds, 2 tablespoons sugar, and cornstarch in a food processor until finely ground, being careful not to grind to a paste.
• Beat whites with standing electric mixer at medium speed until foamy. Beat in cream of tartar and a pinch of salt, then gradually beat in remaining 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Increase speed to high and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks.
• Fold ground almonds gently but thoroughly into meringue in 3 batches. Spread evenly onto rectangles on parchment with a small metal spatula, filling them in. (As mixture bakes, meringue will spread slightly outside lines.)
• Bake meringue layers in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until firm and pale golden, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes total. Slide meringue layers, still on parchment, onto racks, then cool completely and peel off paper.
• Fill and assemble dacquoise:
• Place 1 meringue layer on a platter and spread 1 1/2 cups ice cream evenly on top with cleaned spatula. Top with second meringue layer, then with remaining 1 1/2 cups ice cream. Top with third meringue layer, then trim edges of dacquoise with a serrated knife to make even.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and foil and freeze at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.
• Decorate dacquoise:
• Just before serving, trim and thinly slice strawberries and arrange decoratively over dacquoise.