Pistachio 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.

STRAWBERRY AND YUZU ICE CREAM WITH PISTACHIO DACQUOISE

Steps:

• Step 1 For the ice cream:
• Step 2 Place the strawberries into a large bowl and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of caster sugar. Leave to sit for at least 30 minutes.
• Step 3 Add the milk, cream and vanilla paste into a medium-sized saucepan and bring to the boil.
• Step 4 Once the milk mixture is hot, put the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk on medium-high until the egg mixture is pale and thick.
• Step 5 When the egg mixture reaches this stage slowly start to add the hot milk mixture while beating continuously. (If you add the milk all at once the egg mixture could curdle).
• Step 6 Once the milk mixture is completely incorporated, return the mixture to the saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring continuously until it thickens. It will be ready when the temperature reaches 80 degrees Celcius or coats the back of your spoon. Take off the heat.
• Step 7 Add the yuzu juice, honey, and vodka to the strawberries. Crack over some black pepper and blitz into a smooth pureé (it should yield about 200ml).
• Step 8 Add the pureé to the anglaise and stir to combine. Chill in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours (or overnight).
• Step 9 For the dacquoise:
• Step 10 Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius fan force. Line a baking tray with a silicone mat.
• Step 11 Blitz together the almond flour, salt and pistachios in a food processor (or in a large bowl with a handheld blender on low). Add the icing sugar and combine well.
• Step 12 Place the eggwhites in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until pale and foamy. Add a tablespoon of caster sugar at a time, continuing to whisk on high speed. (Make sure the sugar is incorporated before adding each tablespoon.) The meringue is ready when shiny and holding firm peaks.
• Step 13 Remove the bowl and add the nut mixture to the meringue, carefully folding together until thoroughly combined.
• Step 14 Evenly spread the dacquoise mixture onto the silicone mat using a palette knife (about 1 cm thick).
• Step 15 Bake for 20 minutes, or until the top is firm and crisp, but the middle is still soft and gooey. Lift the silicone mat off the tray and leave the dacquoise to cool completely.
• Step 16 To assemble:
• Step 17 Turn the dacquoise upside down on baking paper and gently lift off the silicone mat.
• Step 18 Slice the dacquoise in half, lengthways, so you have two long rectangles.
• Step 19 Churn the chilled anglaise for 20-30 minutes (it may take longer because of the vodka).
• Step 20 Once you've reached the desired consistency, spoon the ice cream evenly onto the bottom layer of the dacquoise (about an inch thick). Then top with the second layer of dacquoise.
• Step 21 Wrap the baking paper around the log, and then cover with cling film and put in the freezer to chill for 20-30 minutes, before slicing into fingers (about 2 cm thick) and serving with some fresh strawberries.

PISTACHIO DACQUOISE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Rub nuts in a towel to remove skins. Coarsely chop nuts; transfer to a sieve, and shake over a paper towel (if desired, reserve dust for garnish); set aside. Draw three 8-inch rounds on parchment paper; place, marked sides down, on 2 baking sheets.
• Stir together nuts and confectioners' sugar in a small bowl; set aside.
• Put egg whites, granulated sugar, salt, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer; set bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, about 3 minutes. Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk. Beat on medium speed, increasing to high when soft peaks form; continue until stiff, glossy peaks form.
• Gently fold pistachio mixture into egg-white mixture. Spread one-third of the meringue onto each parchment circle (do not smooth tops).
• Bake meringues 1 hour. Switch positions of sheets; reduce temperature to 175 degrees. Bake, switching positions of sheets after 45 minutes, until meringues are dry and crisp and can be lifted easily from parchment, 1 to 2 hours. Turn off oven; let meringues cool in oven 45 minutes. Remove, and let cool completely on sheets.
• Process 2/3 cup raspberries in a food processor until pureed. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard seeds. (Puree can be refrigerated up to 1 day.) Beat pastry cream until smooth; set aside. Beat chilled 1/2 cup heavy cream with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold into pastry cream; set aside.
• Set aside a few berries for garnish. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put one meringue on sheet; spread half of pastry cream on top. Spoon 4 1/2 teaspoons puree in a spiral over pastry cream; swirl with a knife. Top with another meringue. Scatter remaining 1 1/3 cups berries over meringue; spread remaining pastry cream on top, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Spoon remaining puree in a spiral over pastry cream; swirl with a knife. Top with last meringue; gently press to spread filling to edges. Freeze until filling is solid but not completely frozen, 2 to 3 hours.
• Beat remaining heavy cream with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Top dacquoise with whipped cream; garnish with reserved berries, and pistachio dust if desired. Use a serrated knife to cut into wedges; wipe blade clean between cuts.

PISTACHIO PRALINE DACQUOISE

Steps:

• Line 2 buttered baking sheets with foil or parchment paper and trace a total of three 13- by 4-inch rectangles on the sheets of foil (2 on one sheet and 1 on the other).
• Make the meringue layers:
• In a food processor grind fine the pistachio nuts with 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the cornstarch. In a large bowl with an 2electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and the salt until they hold soft peaks, beat in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, a little at a time, and the food coloring, and beat the whites until they hold stiff glossy peaks. Fold in the pistachio mixture gently but thoroughly and transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Starting along an edge of a rectangle, pipe the meringue onto the prepared foil, filling in 2 of the rectangles. Outline the edges of the remaining rectangle with 2 rows of the meringue, leaving the center free, and bake the meringues in a preheated 250°F. oven, switching the sheets from one rack to the other after 30 minutes, for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the meringues are firm and dry when touched. Let the meringues cool on the sheets, slide the foil off the sheets, and peel the meringues off the foil carefully. The meringues may be made 1 day in advance and kept wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature.
• Make the filling:
• In a small skillet, preferably non-stick, cook 1/4 cup of the sugar, undisturbed, over moderate heat until it begins to melt, cook it, stirring with a fork, until it is melted completely and turns a golden caramel, and add the pistachio nuts, stirring until they are coated well. Pour the mixture immediately onto a piece of foil and let it cool completely. Break the praline into pieces and grind it fine in a food processor. In a heavy saucepan dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 cup of the milk, stir in the remaining 3/4 cup milk and the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and bring the mixture just to a boil, stirring. In a heatproof bowl whisk together the whole egg and the egg yolk, add the milk mixture in a stream, whisking, and transfer the pastry cream to the pan. Bring the pastry cream to a boil, whisking, and simmer it, whisking, for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the butter and the kirsch, whisking until the butter is incorporated, and force the pastry cream through a fine sieve into a metal bowl. Stir in the praline and let the pastry cream cool completely, its surface covered with plastic wrap. The filling may be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. In a small saucepan sprinkle the gelatin over the water, let it soften for 1 minute, and heat the mixture over moderately low heat, stirring, until the gelatin is dissolved and the liquid is hot. Whisk the gelatin mixture into the pastry cream, set the bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water, and stir the pastry cream until it is thickened but not set. Remove the bowl from the ice water. In a chilled bowl with an electric mixer beat the heavy cream until it just holds stiff peaks, whisk one third of it into the pastry cream to lighten it, and fold in the remaining cream gently but thoroughly. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip.
• Arrange a solid meringue rectangle, rough side up, on a platter and pipe some of the filling decoratively in rows down the length of it to cover it. Top the filling with the remaining solid meringue rectangle, rough side up, and pipe some of the remaining filling on the meringue in the same manner. Dust the remaining meringue, rough side up, with the confectioners' sugar and set it on top of the filling. Pipe rosettes of the remaining filling on the meringue, garnish them with the pistachios, and chill the dacquoise for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.