Comments on: Dacquoise & Meringue. A Detailed Instruction

By: Jenny

Jenny — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:13:10 +0000

I’ve had the same problem as Magda repeatedly with these kind of cakes. They look great baking up, and then fall to about one-quarter of an inch thick with the consistency of a rubbery pancake. Not good.

There has GOT to be something I’m missing.

- butter not browned properly? Is it supposed to “bubble” when you brown it?
- Egg whites not whisked enough?
- Things combined too much so the eggs deflate?

If a deflated batter is the problem, how in the world do I mix something so delicate together without having floury streaks? I’m really perplexed.

By: Magda

Magda — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:43:03 +0000

I made this cake yesterday and…well, it came out flat. So now I’m trying to figure out where I went wrong. If I folded too much? If the butter was too warm? So many things could’ve gone wrong…and, I should’ve followed your directions more closely. I’m sorry!

Looking over them now, I’m still a bit confused as to how to mix the butter, hazelnuts and egg whites together without having the egg whites lose all of their structure. Mine went down to about….a quarter of their poufed up size I think.

In particular, I’m confused by the following:
“In another small bowl on the side, use a whisk to mix a small amount of the meringue with some brown butter.” Do you then add this to the big batch of egg whites? To the butter? Do you do this every time you need to add the butter (ie. add the butter in stages – do you need to emuslify it this way at every stage?).

Oh – and when mixed properly, how much of the body do the whites retain? (100%, 50%, etc.).

Any help/advice is GREATLY appreciated, thanks!

By: DynV

DynV — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 03:15:00 +0000

Thanks !!! I was sad because I missed two times my Meringue but your tips will ensure success next time. :)

By: Nina

Nina — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 00:57:00 +0000

I love dacquoise! Such an indulgence–to eat and to make. :)

By: cucina testa rossa

cucina testa rossa — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 15:25:00 +0000

it was magnifique! and made my flight home so much more delicious. merci merci :-)

By: Candace

Candace — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 20:51:00 +0000

Wow!! AWESOME blog! Can’t wait to show my dh. Your instructions are fantastic! If you visit my blog, you can look at dh’s wonderful food (though I’ve only posted a little of it so far), but don’t look at my very pedestrian pudding, LOL! ;o)

By: Brett

Brett — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 16:24:00 +0000

Shuna, thank you for the amazingly detailed instructions and expert advice. I will definitely be referring to your wonderful post next time I attempt this recipe! To see how my different (yet thankfully still tasty) version of Suzanne Goin's cake came out (and to see the recipe), check out my post here.

By: melissa

melissa — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 13:08:00 +0000

Shuna dear –
this looks a bit too challenging for me, but am happy to report that i finally got around to making the famous gingerbread this weekend. delicious. it was a big hit at a local gathering, and mr E loves it. as did i, and mommy E, who is not generally a fan of gingerbread. it was perfect with tea on a cold and rainy afternoon in ny.
thank you.
love,
melissa