Nutty Dacquoise with Chocolate Ganache

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Nutty Dacquoise with Chocolate Ganache

A dacquoise is a baked meringue that has been combined with ground nuts and then baked and frosted. This dessert will look like a cake but taste like a crispy nut cookie covered in chocolate. How bad can that be? CKCA Senior Chef Instructor shares the following deceptively simple recipe for a delicious and sophisticated dessert.

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Ingredients

Dacquoise:

  • 1 1/2 cup unsalted pistachios, almonds, or walnuts, shelled
  • 4 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 1/4 cup egg whites
  • pinch salt

Chocolate Ganache:

  • 12 ounce semi sweet chocolate, chopped and melted
  • 9 fluid ounces non-dairy creamer
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
  • 1 dash vanilla

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F and cover one large or two small baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Grind the pistachios in a food processor or nut grinder. They should be the consistency of cornmeal and as dry as possible.
  3. Combine with 3/4-1 cup of the sugar and set aside.
  4. Using a very dry, very clean bowl (no moisture at all or the meringue will not come together), whip the egg whites at medium speed, with a pinch of salt.
  5. While increasingly the speed, gradually add about two cups of sugar.
  6. Once the egg whites form soft peaks, gradually add the remaining sugar and whip until smooth and glossy.
  7. Sprinkle the nut mixture over the meringue and fold in by hand with a spatula.
  8. Load the mixture into a storage-sized zip top bag or pastry bag, and cut out one 3/4-1 inch corner.
  9. Pipe two or three large, cake-sized concentric circles on the parchment paper, starting in the middle of each circle.
  10. Bake until firm and crisp but not browned, approximately 1 hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
  1. Heat the non-dairy creamer just to boiling, and stir into the bowl with the chocolate pieces. Mix until smooth, and allow it to cool slightly before using.
  2. Frost the top of one meringue with chocolate ganache and layer a meringue on top. Frost the top but keep the sides free of ganache.
  3. Serve to astounded seder guests, and enjoy!

Contributed by: Elizabeth Book Kratz, CKCA

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