Almond Dacquoise Recipes

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.

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.

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.