Hazelnut Dacquoise Meringue

This is a take on the Dacquoise dessert. It is a layer of fluffy meringue full of fine and sweet toasted nut meal. Use it between layers of a cake or topping on a pie. This meringue is not baked, but left as a soft, spreadable filling or topping. For this reason we must use the Italian Meringue method. It pasteurizes the eggs (if you are concerned about that) and it produces the firmest and most stable meringue.

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Hazelnut Dacquoise Meringue

Planning

  • Prep Time:

    20 minutes

  • Bake/Cook Time:

  • Chill/Set Time:

    0

  • Servings:

    4 Cups

Preparation

  • Materials

    Stand Mixer with Whisk
    Melting Pot
    Candy Thermometer
    Mixing Bowl
    Spatula
    Piping Bag with 1.5cm/⅝” plain tip.
    Baking Sheet
    Parchment Paper

  • Prep

    HAZELNUTS
    Use blanched hazelnuts, finely ground. Bake the ground hazelnuts on a baking sheet at 350F for 10 minutes, then cool to room temp then mix the cornstarch and 100g sugar into the nuts.

    EGGS
    Set eggs out to bring to room temperature.
    Separate the eggs. Store the egg yolk in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
    Put the egg whites on the counter in the stand mixer bowl. Let them dry on the counter for 1 hour.

  • Oven/Stove

    You will make the syrup on the stovetop in a melting pot.
    Bake only if you make it into a dacquoise - oven at 225F for 1 hour

  • Shopping List

    Hazelnut Meal
    Granulated Sugar
    Confectioner's Sugar
    Cornstarch
    Cream of Tartar
    Sea Salt
    Eggs
    Vanilla Extract
    Hazelnut Extract

Ingredients & Steps

  • Ingredients

    Hazelnut Meal 250g (9oz)
    Granulated Sugar 100g
    Granulated Sugar 250g
    Confectioner's Sugar 6 tbsp
    Cornstarch 25g (1oz)
    Sea Salt - a pinch
    Water 125g
    Egg Whites 180g (6 large)
    Cream of Tartar 1 tsp (5g)
    Vanilla Extract 1 tbsp
    Hazelnut Extract 1 tbsp

  • Steps

    Pro Tip: Time the preparation of the egg whites and the sugar syrup together.
    Note: The ratio of water to sugar for syrup is 2:1This process should take about 10-15 minutes.

    STEP 1: Put the boiling water and the granulated sugar in the melting pot on the stove. The burner should be covered with foil to protect it.

    STEP 2: Melt the sugar in the water on medium-high while stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar thoroughly in the water. When all of the sugar is dissolved the liquid will be completely clear.

    STEP 3: Cook the mixture on medium without stirring. DO NOT STIR. 

    STEP 4: Let it start bubbling and as soon as it reaches a low boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. Let it simmer to cook out water and it thicken. Don’t let it get too hot. As it starts getting hotter reduce the temperature a little to keep it at a gentle heat. There should be some bubble but no increasing height, rolling, or sputtering.

    STEP 5: When it reaches 210F start whipping the egg whites for the meringue.

    STEP 6: When it reaches 230F drizzle the hot syrup slowly into the meringue while whisking on medium low - you don’t want it to splatter. It should be “soft ball”:stage - thick but still liquid and easily pourable. Do not let it reach hardball stage. This is where it becomes heavy thick and a sticky mess.

    STEP 7: Fold the nut mixture into the meringue.

    You can now spread or pipe the meringue on your dessert.
    Use unbaked meringue immediately.
    If you are making dacquoise, follow the notes below.

Notes

DACQUOISE
You can use this meringue to make a dacquoise layer.

STEP 1: Spoon the mixture into a piping bag 1.5cm/⅝” plain tip.

STEP 2: Pipe the meringue into the desired shape on a parchment covered baking sheet.

STEP 3: Bake at 225F for 1 hour (Do NOT let it over cook. Do not let it brown - just light golden at the most). Rotate the pan half way through the bake. Make sure not to let it take on any color (overcooked).

STEP 4: Turn off the oven and leave in the oven with the door open for 30 minutes.
Remove and cool to room temperature. If it is hard, chill it for an hour to soften it a little.

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