Hazelnut Meringues with Chocolate Chip Mascarpone
Mario Batali

 

Hazelnut Meringues with Chocolate Chip Mascarpone

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My most recent cookbook, Molto Batali, is divided into 12 chapters that correspond to the calendar months of the year. The third chapter starts: Arriva marzo pazzerello; esce il sole e prendi l'ombrello! "Here comes crazy March; the sun comes out and you grab your umbrella!"

The weather this March has been less predictable than usual. New York has experienced fall, winter and spring in the span of 10 days. It's even tested the versatility of my shorts and Crocs.

This recipe works during every season. It's the perfect transitional dessert, to bridge winter and spring.

Meringues are typically associated with French or Swiss cuisine. But the dish does have a pedigree in Italian cooking. In fact, some speculate that, like most good things, the meringue was invented by an Italian cook.

In its simplest form, meringue is a combination of sugar and whipped egg whites. In this recipe, I add Frangelico, a hazelnut liqueur from Northern Italy. The hazelnut makes it a little exotic but delicate. It's the subtlety of this preparation that makes it distinctly Italian.

In general, I'm not a sweets person, but if there's a recipe I love for its sugary decadence, it's this. But they're not to be consumed in one sitting. Moderation makes these confections all the sweeter.

The baked meringues can be stored in an airtight container filled with uncooked rice for a couple of days. Recreate this dessert for a couple of nights. It makes the perfect midnight snack.

Hazelnut Meringues with Chocolate Chip Mascarpone

Recipe courtesy of "Molto Batali" (ecco, 2011)

Makes 40 meringues sandwiches.

Meringues:

8 ounces hazelnuts, skins on

6 eggs whites, at room temperature

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup plus 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon Frangelico or other hazelnut liqueur

Filling:

1 cup mascarpone, at room temperature (or use cream cheese)

2 tablespoons superfine sugar

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Make the meringues: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line four cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet, and toast them in the oven until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove, and lower the oven temperature to 200 F.

Place the hazelnuts in a food processor and zap, pulsing, until finely ground, but not so long that they form a paste. Divide the ground nuts in half an set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whip the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Then add the cream of tartar, turn the mixer speed to high, and whip until the whites form soft peaks. Fold in 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar and whip on high speed to form firm, glossy peaks. Add the Frangelico and whip again until the whites look like shaving cream. Fold in the remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and one portion of the ground hazelnuts.

Place the mixture in a piping bag, and pipe out 1 1/2-inch-wide flat coin-shaped disks on the parchment-lined cookie sheets, about 20 per sheet. Put two sheets in a cool spot. Place the remaining two sheets in the oven and bake for 1 hour. Then rotate the sheets and bake for another 30 minutes, until the meringues are crisp and firm. Slide the parchment off the sheets onto the counter; let the meringues cool completely. Repeat with remaining meringues.

Prepare the filling: Place the mascarpone in a mixing bowl, and add the superfine sugar, the mini chocolate chips, and the remaining ground hazelnuts. Stir to form a smooth mixture with the consistency of frosting. Place a generous teaspoon of the filling on the flat side of one meringue and then adhere another disk, flat side toward the filling, like a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining filling and meringues. These are best served immediately.

Note: The baked meringues (without the filling) can be stored in an airtight container filled with uncooked rice for 1 to 2 days. They are best eaten the day they are made, however.

Dessert, Italian

 

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