chocolate dacquoise

How To Make chocolate dacquoise

• 1

  Draw three 8 inch circles on parchment paper. Place paper on large cookie sheet; set aside. Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and vanilla in small mixer bowl until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form; do not under-beat. Fold in almonds.
• 2

  Spread meringue evenly over circles on paper. Bake in a preheated 275 oven for 45 minutes. Without opening door, turn off oven; let meringues remain in oven for another 45 minutes. Remove from oven; cool completely. Carefully peel off paper.
• 3

  Prepare Chocolate Mocha Buttercream: Melt baking chocolate in top of double boiler over hot, not boiling, water; set aside to cool slightly. Combine sugar, cream of tartar, and water in small heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and syrup is clear. Continue cooking over medium heat, without stirring, until syrup reaches 238F (soft ball stage) or until syrup, when dropped into very cold water, forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from water.
• 4

  Meanwhile, beat egg yolks in small mixer bowl on high speed until thick and lemon colored, about 2 minutes. With mixer on high speed, slowly pour hot syrup in a thin stream over egg yolks, beating constantly until thick and cooled, about 5 minutes. Beat in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Dissolve instant coffee in hot water; add with melted chocolate to egg yolk mixture. Beat until well blended. Place in bowl of ice water; chill 15-20 minutes. Remove from water; beat on high speed until buttercream is thick enough to spread.
• 5

  Place one meringue on serving plate; pipe on or spread with a third of the buttercream (about 3/4 cup). Repeat layering with meringues and buttercream, ending with buttercream. Garnish with chocolate curls. Cover; chill no longer than 2 hours. (Meringue may soften if refrigerated for more than 2 hours.)
• Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
• Printable Recipe Card