Shell Shaped Dacquoise Recipes

DACQUOISE

Steps:

• Position the oven racks in the upper, middle, and bottom part of the oven, then set the oven to preheat to 150 °C. Line three 21 cm round baking pans or trays with parchment paper or, if you are using trays, draw a 21 cm diameter circle on each. Set aside.
• In a small bowl combine hazelnuts, 100 grams of caster sugar, and cornflour. Whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt at medium speed for 2 minutes. Increase the speed to high, and with the mixer running, gradually add 200 grams of sugar until stiff glossy peaks. Fold the hazelnut mixture into the meringue.
• Spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5 cm plain tube. Pipe a spiral of meringue starting from the center of each drawn circle and working outwards. Bake for an hour, rotating the upper and bottom baking tray after 30 minutes, so they cook evenly. Turn off, and leave the meringues to cool down in the oven with the door slightly open.
• To make chocolate ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until hot, just simmering, but not boiling and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for a minute and then stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until it thickens. Fill the piping bag fitted with a medium star nozzle with ganache and set aside.
• To make the custard, bring the milk to a boil over low heat. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and coffee and chicory essence, then whisk in the cornflour, a tablespoon at a time. Pour the hot milk over the egg mixture, whisking continuously, then pour the mixture back into the pan. While constantly whisking, bring to a boil, then decrease the heat, and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until thick and smooth. Remove from the stovetop and wait an hour for it to cool. Once the custard is chilled, fold in softly whipped cream.
• Whip the cream until soft peaks. Whisk half of the whipped cream into the cold coffee mixture, then gently fold in the rest. Cover and chill until needed.
• Melt sugar in a small frying pan (without stirring). Cook until golden caramel color, or until a thermometer registers 300°C. At that point add the whole hazelnuts and lemon juice, and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Pour the mixture onto a baking tray lined either with baking paper or silicone. Using two teaspoons form 12 pieces of hazelnut praline. Wait for it to cool completely before use.
• Position one meringue layer on a large serving plate, then in an even layer, coat it with one-third of the coffee cream. Place a second meringue layer on the cream to cover, then spread the top part with half of the coffee cream. Top with the third meringue layer, coat the sides of the cake with the coffee cream. Press roasted and chopped nuts into the sides of the cake. Pipe 12 swirls of the ganache onto the top outer edge of the cake, taking care they are evenly spaced, then place a piece of praline on each.

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.

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.