boccone dolce

dessert was so wonderful that i thought i would share the love by sharing the recipe. fortunately the pastry chef at papa haydn's had their recipe online here. i altered it a bit to account for having more egg whites and wanting to use less sugar. i'm not sure if meringues can be made successfully with the use of agave, but will have to try that some time. be sure to leave plenty of time...the egg whites whip better if they are at room temperature and the meringues take two hours to bake. my recipe is based on the 16 egg whites i had left from making lemon curd, so feel free to divide. if you want a crispier meringue, you will have to use more sugar. here's the deliciousness:

boccone dolce

16 egg whites (2 C)
1 C evaporated cane juice  **EDIT: 10.29.14...i successfully sweetened with 3 T of maple sugar. the meringues start out crisp and wonderful, but end up a little chewier after storing**

begin by whisking the egg whites in your stand mixer. once stiff peaks have formed, mix the sugar in 1-2 T at a time, allowing to whisk 2-3 minutes between additions so the sugar dissolves completely. once everything is thoroughly whipped, line your baking sheets with parchment paper. the traditional shape for boccone dolce is a circle. you can draw your shape on the back of the parchment paper for accuracy or you can just eyeball it. i had a LOT of meringue and didn't want to cook them in two batches, so i went with rectangles because i could cook all four at the same time. bake for 2 hours at 200-225 (depending on your oven), switching the pans half way through (or more frequently if your oven is finicky). **EDIT: 10.29.14...i have begun whipping the meringues in the evening (around 8-10pm), baking them for two hours, switching the pans from the top rack to the bottom and vice versa before i go to bed, and then leaving them in the oven until morning. perfectly dry meringues every time! i also just spread the entire sheet of meringue on my 11"x16" silicone baking mats and cut the meringue in half when i remove them from the oven instead of trying to make four individual rectangles. the extra bonus is these tweaks make it easier for me to produce this dessert so i do it more often, which is a win for us all. ;) **

while your meringues are baking, prepare your fruit. papa haydn's normally uses raspberries and blackberries, but it is also delicious with strawberries. i had leftover lemon curd, so to use that i took half a bag of frozen wild blueberries out to thaw.

closer to the end of baking time, you will need to make whipped cream. you can either whip it on your own, with a stand mixer, or with my favorite kitchen accessory...the whipped cream maker. andy bought this lovely gadget for my birthday five years ago. we have *loved* it. i can even make dairy-free coconut whipped cream with no problem. mine is an iSi and cost around $50. worth. every. cent.

whipped cream

1 pint whipping cream
1 T agave
1-2 t vanilla

open the whipping cream carton and pour in the agave and vanilla. hold the carton's spout closed tightly and shake to incorporate. pour everything into the whipped cream maker, screw on lid/etc, charge with N2O, and shake. refrigerate if you're not ready to use your whipped cream.

you also have to choose your chocolate. the subrosa recipe calls for melted bittersweet chocolate. with the lemon curd and blueberries, white chocolate would have been delicious, but i decided to use my favorite hot fudge. it solidifies when exposed to cold (whipped cream, partially frozen blueberries) like magic shell. plus, it's sweetened with honey.

hot fudge

3 T butter
3 T honey
3 T coconut oil
2 T cocoa powder

melt the above ingredients in a saucepan, stirring or whisking to incorporate. remove from heat and add:

1/4 t cinnamon (optional)
2 t vanilla
1/4t himalayan salt (plain kosher will work fine. use a small pinch if your butter is salted)

this fudge solidifies when drizzled on icecream, but remains chewy and wonderful. it takes on more of a soft-solid fudge state when chilled. (can you say, "eat with a spoon directly from the container."?!)

okay, now your meringues are done baking, your fruit, whipped cream, and chocolate/hot fudge are all ready, and you can assemble your dessert. find as serving dish and put down one meringue. drizzle on chocolate/hot fudge, top with whipped cream, sprinkle on fruit. smash down the next meringue. repeat the fillings. smash down another meringue. this is where i put the lemon curd. i topped the curd with whipped cream and put on the last meringue (because i had four, instead of the normal three) and drizzle more chocolate/hot fudge on top. cut and serve. try not to eat the whole thing in one sitting. mmmmmm…