Double Chocolate Dacquoise

After several requests, I have finally decided to start blogging desserts - now that I have a full kitchen again in my Paris apartment! I was inspired on a whim to create a light but sinful chocolate dessert with my leftover egg whites so I decided why not throw in a bit of this and a bit of that and see if it works...turned out to be quite yummy! This is a great low fat alternative as it does not contain any butter or flour. This recipe is dedicated to a special reader that follows my blog and asked for a dacquoise recipe - sorry for the delay! This is not a traditional dacquoise recipe but just as good, if not better ;-).


Dacquoise Serves 8-10

Preheat oven to 350 F (177 C)

9 inch round cake pan (with removable bottom), greased and lined with parchment

7 egg whites, room temperature
pinch of cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups (200 g) chopped dark chocolate (good quality, 70% or more)
1 cup of ground almonds (or hazelnuts)
1 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 tsp of sea salt
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder (the good kind!)

cocoa powder for dusting (optional)
whipped cream (optional)

Whip egg whites with electric beater or food processor until soft peaks form. Slowly add in 1 cup of sugar and cream of tartar and beat on high until stiff peaks form. Whisk in cocoa powder and set aside.

In a separate bowl combined the chopped chocolate, ground almonds and salt. Gently fold into egg white mixture with spatula. Be careful not to overmix.

Gently add mixture to greased, lined pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until it has double in size. Remove and let rest on wire rack for 15 min until set. Flip onto wire rack/plate to completely cool.

Serve sliced and with whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder. Enjoy!