Shell Shaped Dacquoise Food

SHELL-SHAPED DACQUOISE

Steps:

• To make the Dacquoise, first line two cookie sheets with baking parchment paper. Using a pencil, draw a scallop shell on the parchment paper about seven inches in diameter. Cut it out and trace it three times, once on one cookie sheet and twice on the other, leaving space in between.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Beat whites with cream of tartar, almond extract and salt until frothy, and soft peaks form. Continue to whip at high speed. Add one cup of sugar by tablespoons. Whip until dry and very stiff.
• Mix remaining sugar, cornstarch and ground nuts together, and fold gently into the meringue.
• To make the top of the shell Dacquiose, use a plain round tip (No. 7 or one-half-inch in diameter) and pipe long fingers of meringue (just less than one-half-inch thick) from the scalloped edge of the pattern to the bottom edge of the shell. Fill in where necessary. Pipe another layer of meringue directly on top of the first, but starting one-half-inch in toward the center of the shell. Again, fill in where necessary. Repeat the process a third time to complete the top layer of the shell.
• Using either a spatula or the pastry bag, fill in the remaining two shell-shaped layers, each slightly less than one-half-inch thick. Pipe any extra meringue in strands on the cookie sheets to use for decoration later.
• Bake at 300 degrees until stiff and dry - at least three hours. Turn off oven and leave meringues overnight or until completely cool. Remove from paper.
• To make the butter cream filling, heat egg and sugar over water until warm and sugar begins to dissolve. Beat at high speed until completely cooled. Lower speed and beat in butter, piece by piece, until buttercream is light and fluffy.
• Dissolve the espresso in the cognac and add to egg mixture. Beat until incorporated.
• Melt the semisweet chocolate in a metal bowl over hot water.
• Assemble the Dacquoise by spreading the two flat layers of meringue with a thin coat of chocolate, then a generous layer of buttercream. Place one on top of the other, placing the top of the shell on last.
• Cover the sides with buttercream and use the extra meringue strands (crushed with your hands or a rolling pin) as decoration over the buttercream. Cover the top with powdered sugar by sifting it through a strainer.

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.

BREAKFAST QUICHE

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add 3-5 tablespoons ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour., Preheat oven to 450°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to an 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Line unpricked crust with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake 5 minutes; remove foil. Bake 5 minutes longer; remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 375°., Sprinkle bacon, cheeses and onion over crust. Beat remaining ingredients until blended; pour over top. Bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

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.