INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

CHOCOLATE GANACHE
Special Equipment: Pastry bag fitted with a plain #9 tip (5/8-inch)
To Make Macaroons: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food
processor fitted with a steel blade, grind almonds and sugar until fine.
Add egg whites and almond extract and process to a paste. Transfer mixture
to the pastry bag. Pipe 1 1/2-inch high, leaving about 1-inch between
macaroons on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Let stand for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake macaroons until they begin to
color, about 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a wire rack. When cool,
carefully peel each cookie from the parchment paper. Macaroons may be
completed up to 3 days in advance. Wrap well and refrigerate. To Assemble
and Finish Pastries: Wash and dry pastry bag and tip, then re-assemble.
Beat chilled Chocolate Ganache until the color lightens and mixture becomes
stiff enough to hold its shape. Do not overbeat or ganache will have a
granular texture. Transfer ganache to pastry bag. Pipe a 2-inch high
kiss-shaped mound on top of each Macaroon. Refrigerate until well chilled,
at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare Sarah Bernhardt Chocolate Glaze. Strain
glaze through a fine strainer. Allow to cool until a small dab on your
upper lip feels barely cool, about 88 degrees. Transfer glaze to a narrow
container tall enough to dip the pastries. Hold the cookie part of each
pastry carefully and dip each one, upside down, into the glaze, reaching
deep enough just to cover ganache. Set pastry upright and top with a pinch
of pistachio, if desired. Refrigerate pastries immediately; keep chilled
until ready to serve. If you are decorating with gold leaf, omit
pistachios. Before applying gold leaf, chill pastries until glaze is set.
Apply gold leaf by touching the thin gold sheets with a tiny artist's
brush; the gold will come off in tiny pieces and stick to the brush. Touch
the brush to the pastry to transfer the gold to the pastry. Pastries may be
completed up to 2 days in advance of serving. Refrigerate in a covered
container. Yield: 20-24 pastries *edible, real gold and silver leaf is
available from Indian Grocery stores where it is called Vark. It is also
available from art supply stores. It must be a least 23 carats to be
considered edible.
CHOCOLATE GANACHE: Heat cream in a heavy-bottomed large saucepan over
medium-high heat until it simmers. Remove from heat. Add chocolate all at
once and stir until partially melted. Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes to
complete melting. Stir mixture again until smooth and all chocolate
particles are melted. Let cool. Cover surface of chocolate mixture with
waxed paper or plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate
ganache until extremely cold, at least 5 to 6 hours before using. Ganache
can be prepared and refrigerated up to 4 days ahead.
SARAH BERNHARDT CHOCOLATE GLAZE: Place chocolate, butter, and corn syrup
with 5 teaspoons of water in a small bowl. Melt gently in a barely
simmering water bath over low heat, stirring frequently until almost
completely melted. Do not overheat. Remove glaze from water bath and set
aside to finish melting, stirring once or twice until glaze is perfectly
smooth. Stir mixture gently with a spatula or a wooden spoon until
completely smooth; do not whisk or beat. Use glaze at 88-90 degrees.
Copyright, 1996, TV FOOD NETWORK, G.P., All Rights Reserved
Posted to FOODWINE Digest 10 Feb 97 by Randee Fried <Noellekk@AOL.COM> on
Feb 10, 1997.

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