Boccone dolce - country living

Yield: 2 servings

Measure Ingredient
2 \N Large egg whites
½ cup Sugar
¼ cup Finely chopped toasted hazelnuts
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
2 \N 1-oz squares semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoon Orange-flavored liqueur
3 tablespoons Butter, thinly sliced
½ cup Heavy cream
1 tablespoon Confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
½ cup Fresh red raspberries
\N \N Fresh mint sprigs

1. Heat oven to 275'F. Line large baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease light- ly. Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter for a pattern, trace 6 hearts onto foil with the tip of a knife.

2. In medium bowl, place egg whites and ¼ C sugar. Set bowl into a larger bowl of very hot, not boiling, water. With portable electric mixer at high speed, beat mixture until thick and nearly double in volume. Remove bowl from hot water and continue beating egg whites until very stiff peaks form about 4 minutes. In small bowl, combine remaining ¼ C sugar, the hazelnuts, and cornstarch and fold into beaten whites, or meringue, until blended, 3. Transfer meringue to pastry bag with a ½-inch opening at tip. (No decorating tip is necessary.) Pipe contiguous lines of meringue to fill hearts on baking sheets. Bake meringue hearts 1 hour or until dry and firm. Turn oven off. Allow meringues to remain in oven several hours or overnight.

4. When meringues have cooled, in top of double boiler over hot, not boiling, water, heat chocolate and ½ T liqueur until chocolate melts. Remove top of double boiler from water; beat cold butter into chocolate mixture until smooth. Brush over meringue hearts until evenly coated.

5. In small bowl, with electric mixer or wire whisk, beat cream, confectioners' sugar, remaining ½ T liqueur, and the vanilla until soft peaks form. Spoon into pastry bag fitted with star decorating tip.

6. To assemble desserts, place 2 glazed hearts on 2 chilled des- sert plates. Pipe on a layer of whipped cream; sprinkle a few berries in the center. Repeat to make a second layer on each and top with remaining hearts. Pipe 3 whipped-cream stars on hearts. Top each star with a berry. Garnish plate with a fresh mint sprig and the remaining berries. Refrigerate desserts at least 2 hours before serving so meringues can soften slightly.

Nutritional information per serving-protein: 8 grams; fat: 48 grams; carbohy. drate: 76 grams; fiber: 3 grams; sodium: 172 milligrams; cholesterol: ⅓ milligrams; calories: 747.

Country Living/Feb/93 Scanned & fixed by DP & GG

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