French Almond Cookies: Crisp Dacquoise with Toasted Almond Cream
By Olivia Hayes
Prep
30 min
Cook
25 min
Total
55 min
Servings
12
Level
Medium
French almond cookies take 55 minutes to make and bake․ My French almond cookie recipe takes 30 minutes to make and 25 minutes to bake․ I have made these cookies at home while doing something else in the afternoon for less than an entire afternoon․ The recipe includes dacquoise disks with light brown almond paste filling․
The meringue is prepared using room-temperature egg whites in a clean‚ grease-free bowl․ Sugar is added one tablespoon at a time until the egg whites form stiff‚ glossy peaks․ I sift the dry almond ingredients and add them in two installments with a silicone spatula until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is still light and fluffy․
Pipe 2-inch rounds 1 inch apart on heavy-duty parchment or silicone sheets․ Let cookies cool completely on the sheets before removing them; cookies may not release from the sheets otherwise․ Try grouping similarly sized cookies together before piping filling to improve the appearance of the cookie sandwiches․
For serving‚ I remove cookies from the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving and display them on a blue-and-white ceramic dessert plate with a cup of hot espresso․ The contrast of colors between the white cookie filling and blue-and-white plate is appealing․ Other desserts that complement these cookies include pistachio raspberry layer cake‚ lemon sugar cookies‚ salted honey cookies‚ and gluten-free chocolate cookies on a dessert tray․
Why you'll love this recipe
- One batch makes 12 cookies suitable for dessert without additional meringue․
- At 300°F‚ the shells become dry and lightly brown, They will not burn․
- You don't need to be a pastry chef to make these items‚ but kitchen tools like a stand mixer and pastry bag can help you shape them more neatly․
- Prep the cream, This will save two trips to the kitchen․
- Almond flour and meringue layers in the dacquoise make the shells gluten-free, Wheat flour isn't included in the recipe․
- Unbaked disks wrapped in parchment paper can be frozen in advance․
Ingredients
- •4 large egg whites (room temperature, approximately 120g)
- •¼ tsp cream of tartar (1g)
- •⅓ cup granulated sugar (66g)
- •1 cup fine almond flour (96g, sifted)
- •¾ cup powdered sugar (90g, sifted)
- •½ cup unsalted butter (113g, softened to room temperature)
- •1 ½ cups powdered sugar (180g)
- •¼ cup fine almond flour (24g, toasted and cooled)
- •1 tsp pure almond extract (5ml)
- •1 tbsp heavy cream (15ml)
- •2 tbsp powdered sugar (15g, for dusting)
- •¼ cup toasted sliced almonds (25g, for garnish)
Instructions
- 1
Set a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and sift the 1 cup (96g) fine almond flour with the 3/4 cup (90g) powdered sugar. Discard any large almond pieces left in the sieve.
- 2
Whip the 4 room-temperature egg whites and 1/4 tsp (1g) cream of tartar in a clean mixer bowl on medium speed until foamy. Add the 1/3 cup (66g) granulated sugar one tablespoon at a time, then whip on high until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- 3
Fold the sifted almond mixture into the meringue in two batches with a silicone spatula. Fold only until no dry streaks remain.
- 4
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip, pipe 2-inch rounds on parchment-lined baking sheets with an inch between them, and bake for 25-28 minutes until light golden-brown and crisp. Cool completely.
- 5
Beat the 1/2 cup (113g) softened butter for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the 1 1/2 cups (180g) powdered sugar, 1/4 cup (24g) toasted fine almond flour, 1 tsp (5ml) almond extract, and 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy cream, then whip on high for another 2 minutes.
- 6
Match the cooled dacquoise disks into similar-sized pairs. Pipe the filling onto the bottom disks, press the matching disks on top, dust with the 2 tbsp (15g) powdered sugar, and press toasted sliced almonds into the cream.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
220
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