Sarah Bernhardt Cakes Sarah Bernhardt Kager Danish Food

SARAH BERNHARDT CAKES (SARAH BERNHARDT-KAGER) (DANISH)

Steps:

• Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease and flour it.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, whisk the egg white until foamy; add the sugar, and beat until mixture holds soft peaks.
• Fold in the pulverized almonds, cornstarch, and almond extract.
• Spoon into 12 mounds evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet, allowing plenty of space between them.
• Bake until top is dry and cakes are a creamy color, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from sheet and cool on rack.
• Melt 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips in a small bowl over hot water.
• Melt the butter in another pan.
• Whip the egg with the lemon rind, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
• Mix the COOLED chocolate and butter together and add the egg mixture.
• When this has thickened, spread it over the base of the cakes, allowing the mixture to set.
• Melt the remaining chocolate and pour over the firm chocolate layer.
• Decorate each cake with an almond.
• Makes 12 cakes.
• The Great Scandinavian Baking Book...-- Beatrice Ojakangas.

SARAH BERNHARDT COOKIES

Steps:

• Make the filling: In a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, and allow to cool. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, and simmer until clear, about 5 minutes; remove from heat. Place egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water, and whisk until warm to the touch, about 2 minutes. Transfer bowl to mixer stand fitted with the whisk attachment; with machine on medium, beat in hot sugar syrup. Increase speed to high, and continue beating until cool and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Reduce speed to medium, and gradually drizzle in cooled chocolate, beating until fully combined; if necessary, stop to scrape down sides of bowl. Refrigerate until firm and cold, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper; set aside
• Make the cookies: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine almond paste and sugar; beat until smooth. Add egg white, almond extract, and a pinch of salt; beat to combine. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip (Ateco #11). Pipe 1-inch cookies onto a prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie.
• Bake until firm and golden around edges, about 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies may be stored at this stage in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
• Place cookies dome-side down on a cooling rack. Place filling in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip (Ateco #11), and pipe a peaked mound onto the flat side of each cookie. Transfer to freezer until very firm, about 1 hour.
• Make the coating: In a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. Stir in shortening. Cool to barely warm.
• Remove cookies from freezer. Working quickly so that the filling doesn't melt, use a chocolate fork to hold cookie above bowl of chocolate, and spoon melted chocolate over cookie. Place filling-side up on cooling rack placed over a baking sheet. Refrigerate until ready to serve.