Almond Dacquoise

A Dacquoise is similar in taste, texture, and ingredients to macaroons. They can also be pipped in cream puff shapes to make little cookies that make it much more similar to macaroons.

Formula*: yields 1# 2oz (enough for one 8" cake, one 7" cake, and roughly twenty cookies)
3.5 oz  Powdered almonds
4 oz  Sugar
1.5 oz Cake flour
5 oz  Egg whites**
4 oz  Sugar

Tools: bowl scraper or spatula, 804 tip, large piping bag, genoise pan or 7" and 8" circle template, 8" charlotte ring

* this formula is modified from Gisslen, Professional Baking, Ed. 5, pg. 349
** do not use frozen egg whites as they will not give you the same texture

MOP:
Prep your pan before you start. Using a 7" and 8" template draw two circles on a piece of parchment. Turn parchment over so you are not piping on top of the ink. If you have a parchment paper that is not coated with silicone then you will want to spray the pan, other wise do not spray. Set aside.

In mixing bowl whisk your egg whites until they start to foam up. Add (4oz) sugar and continue whisking until it reaches a firm peak. If your egg whites are not setting up then you can add cornstarch to assist the egg whites.

While this is whipping up sift your flours and the remaining sugar.

When the egg whites are set fold dry ingredients into egg whites (or you can fold egg whites into dry ingredients) with hands or with

a spatula. Fold until flour and egg whites are fully incorporated.

Using your 804 tip and your piping bag pipe paste down the corners of the parchment and then pipe a 8" circle and a 7" circle with the batter. This is the same technique we used for piping lady fingers for the bottom of the tiramisu cake. With your extra batter you can pipe cream puffs in the empty space of the sheet tray.

Bake at 300°F in a convection oven, you might want to turn down the

fan speed to provide more even baking for this delicate batter. If you are baking this in a deck oven bake at 350°F (10f-10t-6b) without a rack. Bake for 7-12 minutes or until it reaches a golden brown colour. When baking it should rise up and fall back down again, should be slightly crunchy when baked.

Take out and cool when baked. If you are using the dacquoise for a cake bottom make sure you cut out the bottom before it cools completely. Use a 8" template (like a charlotte ring) and make sure your 8" circle is still 8".

This cake/cookie can be made a few days ahead, wrapped, and filled for a cake a few (two or three) days later.