Almond Meringue Crisps Recipe

• 3 ounce Sliced almonds
• 5 ounce Caster (granulated) sugar
• 2 x Egg whites
• 1/8 tsp Cream of tartar
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Almond extract/essence
• 1 Tbsp. Icing (confectioners') sugar
• 6 ounce Plain (bittersweet) chocolate broken into 4 pcs
• 3 1/2 ounce (fl) double cream
• 1 tsp Caster sugar
• 1 tsp Unsalted butter

1. From Marcel Desaulniers' Death By Chocolate; The last word on a consumming Passion.
2. This recipe starts is divided into two parts; Almond Meringue Crisps for the base and a Chocolate Ganache as the topping.
3. Equipment: Measuring spoons, 2 baking sheets, food processor with metal blade, electric mixer with balloon whisk, rubber spatual, greasproof paper, piping bag, double boiler, cling film, whisk, 2 pint/1.5L saucepan, small stainless steel bowl, medium star nozzle..... or possibly equivalent.
4. Preheat oven to 325F/170C/Gas 3.
5. Lightly toast almonds on a baking sheet in oven for 5 min.
6. Let cold to room temp.
7. Reduce oven temp to 225F/100F/ Gas 1/4
8. Coarsely process toasted almonds with 1oz/28g sugar into 1/8" size pcs and set aside till needed.
9. Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper.
10. Create meringue by whisking egg whites on medium speed with balloon whick till frothy (approx 1 minutes).
11. Add in cream of tartar and salt and increase speed to high till whites begin to stiffen, then gradually add in 4oz/113g caster sugar.
12. The egg whites should form peaks which are stiff but not dry.
13. Add in almond essence and whisk on high for an additional 30 seconds.
14. Remove from mixer and using a rubber spatula, mix in the minced almonds and cornflour.
15. Fill a piping bag (with no nozzle) with the meringue.
16. Pipe 30 - 1.5" mounds of meringue onto the paper-covered baking sheets ( 15 per sheet).
17. Make an indentation into the centre of each meringue by dipping your thumb in some icing sugar and then into the centre of each meringue.
18. Place meringues in the preheated oven and bake for 30 min.
19. Reduce temperature to 200F/100C/ Fas 1/4 and bake for an additional 2 hrs.
20. Remove from oven and allow to cold for 20 minutes before handling.
21. While crisps are cooling, prepare ganache.
22. heat 1" of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat.
23. Place the plain chocolate in the top half of the double boiler.
24. Tightly cover the top with cling film and allow to heat for 5-6 min.
25. Remove from heat and stir till smooth.
26. Heat the double cream, 1 tsp of sugar and nbutter in a saucepan over medium high heat.
27. Bring to a gentle boil.
28. Pour boiling cream over the melted chocolate and stir till smooth.
29. Transfer teh ganache from the boiler to a small stainless steel bowl.
30. Cover wtih cling film and chill till hard ( 20min).
31. Transfer ganache to a piping bag fitted with a medium sized star nozzle.
32. Pipe approx.
33. 1.5 tsp of ganache into the center of each almond meringue crisp.
34. /COOKIES

almonds, caster, egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, icing confectioners, chocolate, cream, sugar, butter

Taken from cookeatshare.com/recipes/almond-meringue-crisps-63862 (may not work)