Title: Dacquoise (Dax Almond and Hazelnut Cake)
Categories: Cake
Yield: 6 Servings

8		Egg whites
1/8	ts	Salt
1/8	ts	Cream of tartar
8	oz	Castor or icing sugar
5	oz	Almonds: ground
3	oz	Hazelnuts; grated
BUTTER CREAM
4		Large egg yolks
4	oz	Castor sugar
12	fl	Milk
5	oz	Unsalted Butter
2	oz	Almond brittle; powdered
3	oz	Hazelnuts; roasted & grated
DECORATION
		Icing sugar
		Blanched, toasted almond
		_slivers

Preheat the oven to 140C/275F/gas mark 1. Line a large baking sheet with Bakewell parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and the salt until the whites are stiff. Fold in the cream of tartar and 1 teaspoon of sugar then whisk in the remaining sugar until the mixture is satiny and voluminous. Fold in the ground almonds and grated hazelnuts. spread the meringue mixture in 2 large discs on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the meringue is slightly browned. when the paper can be peeled away without sticking, the cakes are done. They will be slightly chewy. To make the butter cream, put the egg yolks in a bowl. Bring the milk to the boil in a saucepan and pour it on to the eggs, beating thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a clean pan and, stirring constantly, thicken the custard over low heat without allowing it to boil. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool to tepid, beat in the butter and the nuts and leave to become cold. Sandwich the cakes with the butter cream. Sprinkle the top with icing sugar and the toasted almond slivers.

This cake from Dax, the spa town near Bayonne, has conquered France to become part of the national culinary repertoire.

Source: Jane Grigson (ed.): The World Atlas of Food. A Gourmet's Guide to the Great Regional Dishes of the World. Mitchell Beazley Publishers 1974. This edition: Spring Books, London 1988. ISBN 0 600 55929 7. Typed by Heiko Ebeling.

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