Peanut Dacquoise with Peanut Butter Mousse and Chocolate Glaze

I’ve been baking up a storm lately, and while that hasn’t particularly been showing on this blog lately, it will in the next few weeks! One of my little projects was this dacquoise! A dacquoise is a cake that is made from layering flat, nutty meringues with a creamy filling (however, “dacquoise” can also refer to the meringues themselves). Dacquoise is like the cousin to macarons as they both include meringue mixed with nuts.

This cake was basically a result of the dozen egg whites I had chilling in my fridge after making multiple ice creams and various other sweets. I’ve had this recipe from Bon Appetit bookmarked for a while, and it seemed like the perfect time to cross it off of my “To-Make” list!

What I love about this dessert (aside from the never-go-wrong combination of peanut butter and chocolate) is the fusion of all of the different textures! The meringue is chewy and airy with a crunch from the chopped peanuts, the mousse is fluffy and creamy with the most addictive flavor, and the chocolate glaze is sumptuous and complementary to the two other peanut-y components. The only think that could possibly make this dessert better would be a bit of banana ice cream!

While this does take a bit of time to prepare, the nice thing is that you can make it three days ahead of time! How convenient is that? Plus, this dessert is unique enough that anyone you share it with is sure to be impressed with your culinary prowess :]

Peanut Dacquoise with Peanut Butter Mousse and Chocolate Glaze

recipe from here

ingredients:

meringue:

• 1 1/4 cups (6-6 1/2 ounces) roasted, salted peanuts, divided
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 6 large egg whites
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• pinch of salt

mousse:

• 1/2 cup natural chunky peanut butter
• 1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream, divided
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

glaze:

• 1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/3 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
• Sea salt, to garnish

for the meringue:

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw three 10 x 4 1/2-inch rectangles on the paper, and then flip it over.
2. In a food processor, finely grind 1 cup of peanuts with 1/4 cup sugar. Coarsely chop the remaining peanuts and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream or tartar, and salt until the mixture is foamy. While the mixers is running, add in the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, and beet until stiff peaks form. Add in the ground nut mixture and the chopped nuts and fold gently to combine.
4. Spoon 2 cups of meringue into the center of each rectangle, and spread evenly to fill. (Any extra meringue can be baked off as cookies.) Bake for about 90 minutes, until dry to the touch, but still slightly soft. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

for the mousse:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the peanut butter, brown sugar, and salt. With mixture running, gradually beat in 1/4 cup of cream. Add in another 1/4 cup of cream, and beat to combine.
2. In a separate (medium-large) bowl, beat the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the peanut butter mixture in three additions. Chill until ready to use.

for the glaze:

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cocoa powder and sugar. Gradually whisk in the water, and then the cream.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently. Turn off the heat and add in the chocolate chips, whisking until smooth.
3. Allow to stand at room temperature unit cool and slightly thickened, stirring every so often (about 90 minutes).

to assemble:

1. Leaving the meringues on the parchment, trim the meringues to their original 10 x 4 1/2-inch size. Slide the knife between the meringue and the paper to loosen.
2. Spoon two tablespoons of glaze each over the top of two of the meringues, and spread it out in an even layer. Chill until the chocolate sets (about 30 minutes).
3. Place one of the glazed meringues on to a plate. Top the meringue with half of the mousse (1-1 /1/4 cups), and spread evenly. Top with the second glazed meringue, and the rest of the mousse. Top with the unglazed meringue.
4. Pour 1/2 cup of glaze down the center of the top meringue, and spread over the sides and top of the cake to form a thin layer. Chill until the glaze sets (about an hour).
5. Pour the remaining glaze over the top of the dacquoise and spread evenly to cover the entire thing. Sprinkle the top with sea salt. Chill for at least three hours before serving.