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1
In saucepan combine: 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, and 1/2 cup blanched almonds.
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2
Cook without stirring until mixture is color of dark molasses.
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3
Pour onto oiled cookie sheet and let cool.
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4
Detach the praline from sheet with pancake turner and break into pieces.
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5
Blend half at a time in container of an electric blender for about 20 seconds, or until ground to a fine powder.
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6
Store in refrigerator in a tightly closed container.
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7
Preheat oven to very hot 450 degrees F.
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8
In separate pans or pie plates put 1+ 1/2 cups blanched almonds and 1 full cup skinned hazelnuts.
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9
Bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes, or until brown, shaking pans occasionally.
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10
Remove from oven and cool.
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11
Grind 1 cup at a time in an electric blender on high speed for about 5 seconds, and empty into a bowl.
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12
Mix ground nuts with 1 1/2 cups sugar.
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13
Reduce oven to very slow 250u00b0 F.
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14
Beat until stiff: 8 egg whites (reserve yolks for butter cream), a pinch of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar.
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15
Gradually fold in the sugar-nut mixture.
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16
Line baking sheets with waxed paper and butter paper lightly.
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17
On it mark 4 bands about 12 inches long and 4 wide.
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18
Spread these bands thickly with the meringue-nut mixture, and bake in the slow oven for about 30 minutes, or until crusty on top, but still pliable.
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19
Invert on waxed paper, and carefully remove waxed paper from bottom of bands.
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20
Cool.
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21
Melt 6 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces over hot water.
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22
Cut circles 2 1/2 inches in diameter from waxed paper and spread these rounds with a thin coating of the melted chocolate.
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23
Place rounds on a cookie sheet and chill in refrigerator.
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24
In saucepan combine: 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, and 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar.
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25
Bring to a boil and boil rapidly to 240u00b0F on a candy thermometer, or until syrup spins a long thread.
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26
Gradually beat the hot syrup into 8 egg yolks, and continue to beat until the mixture is cool and thick.
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27
Beat in bit by bit: 1+1/2 cups sweet butter.
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28
This makes 1 quart butter cream.
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29
Measure 1 cup of the butter cream and flavor it with 1 teaspoon vanilla.
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30
Measure a second cup and flavor it with 1/4 cup praline powder.
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31
Melt: 3 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces with 1 tablespoon water and stir into remaining butter cream.
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32
Chill all cream until firm enough to spread.
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33
PRESENTATION: Place a meringue band on a serving plate and spread with vanilla cream.
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34
Top with second meringue band and spread with half the chocolate cream.
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35
Top with the third meringue band.
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36
Frost sides with remaining chocolate cream and sprinkle top heavy with confectioner's sugar.
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37
Carefully peel waxed paper from bottom of the chocolate wafers and decorate the sides of the cake by overlapping the wafers all the way around.
