Passion Banana Dacquoise Food

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.

HEARTS OF PASSION

Steps:

• Temper the 2 pounds of milk chocolate. Use a ladle to fill the heart shaped molds with chocolate. When the molds are full, empty the chocolate into a bowl. The inside of the molds should be evenly coated with chocolate. Wipe the edge of the mold clean and place the mold upside down on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Once the chocolate starts to harden, about 5 minutes, use a wide pastry scraper to clean the edges of each cavity. When the chocolate sets, it shrinks or retracts from the sides of the mold. A clean edge will keep it from sticking and cracking as it shrinks. You can place the mold in the refrigerator for several minutes to help the chocolate to harden.
• Place the cream, corn syrup and fresh passion juice in a pan and scald the mixture. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chopped chocolate and blend until smooth with an immersion hand blender. Add the Alize and the butter and blend until smooth with an immersion hand blender. Allow the mixture to come to 84 degrees. Place the mixture in a piping bag and pipe it into the chocolate filled molds. Let set overnight.
• To close the bottoms of each cavity, apply tempered chocolate with an offset spatula. Scrape clean and allow to set. When the chocolate has set, invert the mold over a clean dry surface. It may be necessary to rap the mold against the counter to encourage the chocolates to release from the mold.

LEMON AND FRESH STRAWBERRY DACQUOISE

Steps:

• For Meringue Layers: Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
• Line 2 baking sheets with kitchen parchment cut to fit. On each of the pieces of parchment, draw 2 (8-inch) circles using a cake pan as a guide. Turn the parchment over with drawing face down on the pan. You should be able to still see the circles. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, beat together egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks are formed. Still beating on high speed, gradually add sugar and strawberry extract until the whites form stiff, but not dry, peaks.
• Divide the meringue among the 4 circles drawn on the parchment. Using a rubber spatula, spread meringue to the edges of the circles. Bake in oven for 50 minutes. When meringues are done baking, turn off the oven leaving the meringues inside to dry.
• For Lemon Filling: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk to combine nonfat milk, lemon pudding mix, and lemon zest. Whisk continually for 2 minutes until filling mixture starts to thicken. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• For Strawberry Filling: In another medium mixing bowl, gently fold sliced strawberries into 1/2 container of whipped topping. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to assemble dacquoise.
• Assembly: For best results, assemble dacquoise right before serving. Place 1 meringue circle on a cake plate. Evenly spread half of the lemon filling. Top with another meringue circle and spread with strawberry mixture. Repeat with another meringue circle and lemon filling. Place final meringue circle and top with remaining whipped topping. Garnish with mint sprig and fresh strawberries.