Better Coconut Dacquoise Recipes

COCONUT DACQUOISE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• , preheat oven to 345 F/175 C. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites with one pinch of salt and gradually add granulated sugar until the meringue is firm and glossy. Mix almond flour, coconut flour, sifted powdered (icing) sugar and all-purpose flour in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to the beaten whites and combine with a rubber spatula.
• Butter an 8 inches/20 cm round cake ring and place it on the parchment paper. Transfer the preparation in a pastry bag with Ateco plain pastry tip 809 and make a spiral at the bottom of the cake ring. Begin piping in the center and end at the edges of the ring. Pipe large balls in the direction towards the center. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until slightly browned.
• To make the diplomat cream, mix egg yolks with sugar and corn starch, using a hand whisk. Bring milk in a saucepan to boil, and add the boiling liquid to the egg yolks mixture continually stirring. Bring the preparation back to the pan and cook over medium heat, continuously whisking until the cream thickens. Pour the cream on a shallow plate, cover with a plastic film in contact and let it cool down. Whisk the whipping cream and mix it with the cooled cream.
• To assemble the coconut dacquoise, sprinkle the cake with powdered (icing) sugar. Using a pastry bag with the same plain tip, push the diplomat cream in a spiral on top of the dacquoise. Arrange red fruit on top of the cream and sprinkle with powdered (icing) sugar. With a silicone brush, apply the apricot preserves all around the cake base and sprinkle with the shredded coconut.

RED, WHITE AND BLUE (WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE, BLUEBERRY GELEE, COCONUT DACQUIOSE WITH HAZELNUT COOKIE)

Steps:

• For the glaze: Combine the water, glucose and sugar in a small pot and bring to a boil. Put the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot sugar mixture over the chocolate. Allow it to sit a minute, then emulsify with a whisk. Add the gelatin and sweetened condensed milk and stir to combine. Color to the desired shade of red with the red gel paste. Hold at 86 degrees F.
• For the gelee: Combine the sugar and pectin in a small bowl. Add the glucose to the blueberry puree and warm in a small pot. Add the sugar/pectin mixture to the puree and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and strain. Fill twelve 3-ounce silicone dome molds one-third of the way up with the gelee and freeze.
• For the white chocolate mousse: Combine the sugar and water in a small pot over medium-high heat and cook to 250 degrees F. Meanwhile, whip the egg yolks on high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Carefully pour the hot sugar syrup into the yolks while whisking. Fold the whipped cream into the egg yolk mixture.
• Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl to 110 degrees F in the microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring between each interval. Gently fold the melted chocolate into the cream and yolk mixture until completely combined. Fill a piping bag without a tip with the mousse. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the hazelnut cookie: Cream the butter, sugar, hazelnut flour and cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the eggs and mix. Mix in the cake flour. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner.
• Roll the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut into at least twelve 3-inch stars and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until opaque and an even golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool on the sheet on a baking rack.
• For the dacquoise: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner.
• Sift the coconut, confectioners' sugar, almond flour and all-purpose flour together in a bowl. Set aside.
• Whip the egg whites and granulated sugar to stiff peaks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Fold the flour mixture into the meringue.
• Spread out the batter 1/8 inch thick onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until just golden at the edges, 12 to 13 minutes.
• For the sorbet: Dissolve the sugar with the water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Let cool and then add to the prickly pear and pear purees. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Freeze until ready to serve.
• For the raspberry sauce: Puree the raspberries with the sugar in a blender or food processor. Strain the mixture and adjust the sweetness with additional sugar if needed.
• To assemble: Cut the dacquoise into at least 12 circles with a 2-inch round cutter. Fill twelve 4-ounce dome molds three-quarters full with the mousse. Place a frozen blueberry gelee in the center of each and press lightly to push the mousse up the sides. Fill the molds to the top with more mousse and place a dacquoise round on top. Freeze until solid, at least 2 hours.
• Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Unmold the domes onto the cooling rack and top with the glaze. Place each dome onto a hazelnut cookie and top with a gold petal. Drag a small spoon of raspberry sauce next to each dome. Serve a scoop of the sorbet on the side.

CHOCOLATE DACQUOISE

Steps:

• Prepare the cocoa meringue: Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a marker, trace three 8-inch circles total on parchment (2 on one sheet, 1 on another); turn paper marked side down on baking sheets; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and a tablespoon of the granulated sugar; beat until soft peaks form. With mixer running, gradually add the remaining 11 tablespoons granulated sugar, beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the confectioners' sugar and cocoa mixture, then fold in remaining whites.
• Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip. Starting just within the marked circles, pipe meringue, working inward in a spiral pattern. Bake for 2 hours. Turn off oven allowing meringues to dry out until oven is completely cool, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Prepare ganache: Place chocolate in a medium bowl. In a saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour cream over chocolate, and let stand for 3 minutes. Whisk to combine. Refrigerate, covered, until thick enough to spread, 1 to 2 hours.
• Prepare halvah cream: Bring milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, in a large heatproof bowl, whisk together tahini, honey, cornstarch, and egg yolks. Whisk a little of the hot milk into the tahini mixture. Continue to whisk while adding remaining milk. Return to saucepan, and bring to a boil while whisking. Boil, whisking constantly, until very thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and whisk in half of the crumbled halvah. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
• Whip heavy cream just until soft peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream and the remaining crumbled halvah into the chilled tahini mixture.
• To assemble: Set aside nicest meringue disc for top layer. Place one meringue layer on an 8-inch cardboard cake round or a plate. Spread 1/3 of the halvah cream over meringue. Top with second meringue disc. Spread evenly with ganache. Top with another 1/3 of the halvah cream, spreading evenly. Top with last meringue disc. Ice outside of cake with remaining 1/3 halvah cream. Freeze for 1 to 2 hours.
• Before serving, dust top with confectioners' sugar. To slice, use a serrated knife dipped in hot water. Wipe dry between slices.

TOASTED COCONUT DACQUOISE WITH ORANGE PINEAPPLE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Prepare ice cream:
• Cut rind from pineapple half, then squeeze juice from rind with your hands into a bowl. Pour juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Core pineapple, then finely chop pineapple flesh and chill, covered, until ready to use.
• Bring cream, milk, sugar, and salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Whisk eggs in a bowl until blended, then add hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Transfer custard back to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 175 to 180°F on thermometer, 3 to 5 minutes (do not let boil).
• Immediately pour through sieve into cleaned bowl and stir in zest, orange and lemon juices, and reserved pineapple juice. Cool custard to room temperature, stirring occasionally, then chill, its surface covered with a round of wax paper, until cold, about 3 hours.
• Make meringues while custard chills:
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spread coconut evenly in a shallow baking pan and toast in middle of oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack.
• Reduce oven to 200°F.
• Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment and, using removable bottom of springform pan as a template, trace 3 circles on parchment (2 on 1 sheet and 1 on other). Turn parchment over (circles will be visible through paper).
• Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Beat in sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and continue to beat until meringue holds stiff glossy peaks, about 5 minutes. Fold coconut into meringue, then spoon half into pastry bag. Holding bag perpendicular to and 1 inch above parchment, pipe meringue evenly into parchment circles in a spiral, beginning in center of each and ending just inside traced line. (Refill bag with meringue as needed.)
• Bake meringues in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until dry to the touch, very pale, and crisp, about 2 hours total. (On rainy days, it may be necessary to bake meringues longer.) Slide meringues (on parchment) onto racks and cool completely. Peel paper from meringues.
• Freeze custard while meringues bake:
• Freeze custard in ice cream maker. Transfer to a bowl and stir in chilled chopped pineapple. If not using immediately, transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer.
• Assemble dacquoise:
• Line bottom of springform pan with a round of wax paper. Trim edges of meringues with a knife, if necessary, to fit into pan. Place 1 meringue, flat side down, in bottom of pan. Spread meringue evenly with half of ice cream, then top with another meringue, pressing it gently into ice cream. Spread meringue evenly with remaining ice cream, then cover with remaining meringue, flat side down, pressing it gently into ice cream. Wrap pan with plastic wrap and freeze until dacquoise is firm, at least 2 hours.
• About 20 minutes before serving, remove dacquoise from pan (discard wax paper) and transfer to a serving plate, then put in refrigerator to soften.

ORANGE-CHOCOLATE DACQUOISE

Steps:

• To make the meringue layers, preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Generously butter and flour two cookie sheets. Shake extra flour from sheets. Trace three circles about eight inches in diameter on them.
• Place egg whites in a large bowl, add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff. Add another 1/4 cup sugar to the ground almonds and, reserving 1/3 cup of the mixture, fold the rest into the egg whites.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain (No. 3) tip with the egg-white mixture, and pipe circles following the patterns on the cookie sheets, working from the outside toward the center. Smooth any missed spaces with a spatula. Pipe or spoon extra mixture in dollops on cookie sheets.
• Bake the meringues in the middle of the oven, rotating for even cooking, for 55 to 75 minutes, until firm to the touch and lightly colored. Remove from the oven and run a long, thin-bladed knife or spatula carefully under the meringues. If they are not firm, return to oven and check again in five-minute increments. Once firm, transfer them to cake racks. They will become crisper when cooled.
• For the orange segments, remove and mince the orange zest. Set aside. Remove as much pith as possible and carefully separate the fruit into segments without breaking the membranes.
• Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and stir in the vegetable oil. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then dip each orange segment halfway into the chocolate, letting extra chocolate drip back into the pan. Place the segments on wax paper to harden. Once hardened, cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
• To prepare the buttercream, place egg whites in a large metal mixing bowl and set over (not touching) boiling water. Using a wire whisk, beat, while gradually adding sugar, until the mixture is slightly thickened and reaches 105 degrees on an instant-read or candy thermometer.
• Immediately remove bowl from the heat and begin beating the mixture with an electric mixer. Continue to beat while gradually adding pieces of butter. Beat until the mixture reaches room temperature and thickens into the consistency of stiff filling - about 10 to 15 minutes. (The buttercream will look ugly and you will think that it won't come together. Keep beating. It will!)
• Meanwhile, add the six ounces of chocolate and tablespoon of water to the double boiler used for the garnish. Let it all melt, then add the orange extract, zest, Grand Marnier and salt, and stir to blend. Stir in half a cup of the buttercream and beat until chocolate is smooth. Scrape the mixture into the bowl of buttercream and mix well. Refrigerate for 10 to 20 minutes.
• To assemble the dacquoise, save the best meringue for the top. Put a small amount of buttercream in the center of a dessert plate, or a cardboard circle on a turntable, and place a meringue over it. Spread a generous quarter of the filling over this, making it a little thicker toward the outside.
• Gently place the second meringue on top, pushing down lightly, and spread another fourth of the filling. Add the final meringue layer and cover the top and sides of the dacquoise with another fourth of the buttercream.
• Crumble the reserved pieces of meringue and combine them with the sugar-nut mixture. Pat this around the sides of the dacquoise. Arrange the chocolate-dipped orange segments on top like spokes of a wheel and pipe the remaining buttercream through a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, making rosettes on the outside edge. Refrigerate, uncovered, until an hour before serving.

BETTER COCONUT DACQUOISE?

Steps:

• For the Dacquoise: Put the coconut, almonds, 2/3 cups of the confectioners' sugar and the cornstarch in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Working with a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in the remaining 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, then beat until the meringue is thick and glossy and holds firm peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, very gently fold in the coconut mixture. Spoon one-third of the meringue (about 2 1/2 cups) onto each outlined rectangle. Using a long metal icing spatula, spread the meringue into the meringue into smooth, even layers. Bake the meringues for 3 hours, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 1 1/2 hours. The meringues should be golden and crisp to the touch. Let cool completely on the baking sheets on racks. (The meringues can be made 1 day ahead and kept lightly covered with wax paper at room temperature, as long as the room is dry.) For the Pineapple: Preheat the broiler, and place the place the rack about 4 inches beneath the heat. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with foil. Place the pineapple wedges between a double thickness of paper towels and pat dry. Arrange the pineapple wedges on the baking sheets in a single layer. Sift just enough confectioner's sugar over to coat them lightly. Broil the fruit, one sheet at a time, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the pineapple is slightly charred in spots-turn the sheets as needed for even cooking. Cool the sheets. For the Ganache: Put the white chocolate in a large bowl. Bring the cream to a boil, then pour it over the chocolate. Let it rest for 1 minute, then whisk until the ganache is smooth. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight seal and chill, stirring occasionally, until it is very cold, about 3 hours. When the ganache is thoroughly chilled, and you are ready to assemble the dacquoise, beat the ganache with a mixer (use the whisk attachment or a hand mixer) until it is light and fluffy, but don't overbeat. To Assemble the Dacquoise: Set out a serving plate or cut a 12 x 6 inch piece of cardboard. Place 1 meringue rectangle flat-side down on the plate or cardboard and, using a long metal icing spatula, spread 3/4 cup of the ganache thinly over it. Cover the ganache with a single layer of pineapple wedges (about 24 wedges in 3 rows of 8). Repeat with another meringue, more ganache and more pineapple. Top with the third meringue, and cover the sides and top the sides of the cake with the remaining ganache. Press the toasted coconut onto the sides of the cake. Arrange the remaining pineapple decoratively over the top of the cake. Refrigerate the dacquoise for at least 4 hours, or up to 6 hours, before serving.