Ingredients
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Dacquoise
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6 egg whitesroom temperature
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3/4 cup granulated sugar
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1 1/2 cup cashew
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1 tsp vanilla
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a pinch Cream of Tartar
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Buttercream
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6 Egg Yolksroom temperature
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1 cup Sugar
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1/4 cup Water
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2 cups unsalted butterwhile the butter is cold, cut it into smaller cubes/squares and let it sit at room temperature
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1 tsp vanilla
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Garnish
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3/4 cup ground cashew
Directions
Silvanas is a famous Filipino dessert. They are crunchy, creamy frozen cookies made of cashew-meringue wafers filled and covered with buttercream and coated with graham cookie crumbs. I really enjoy silvanas. They are the perfect amount of sweetness with great texture; crunchy, crumbly, and buttery.
It might not be easy making them: from slowly baking the cookie shells at a low temperature down to the filling. It’s a battle with the freezer door, constantly opening it to ensure the fluffy buttercream hardens. But the result is amazing and one bite is never enough; they are addictive!
How to Make the Meringue:
There are two things you need to remember about making successful meringue every time:
- Make sure your egg whites are room temperature. They whip better and are more stable.
- Ensure your bowl and your whisk are absolutely grease-free. Oil is meringue’s enemy, so you want to make sure there is not a spot of oil or grease on anything.
1. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and prepare a piping bag with a plain tip.
2. Make the meringue in a grease free bowl. Beat the egg whites and add a pinch of cream of tartar. Once it forms into soft peaks, gradually add the sugar, then add the vanilla. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
3. Fold in the chopped cashews carefully without deflating the meringue. Transfer the meringue into a piping bag with a plain tip. If you don’t have a piping bag with a plain tip, you can use a ziplock bag and just cut off the tip of one corner.
4. Pipe 1.5″- 2″ diameter circles. You can do this with a printed or draw 1.5″- 2″ circles on paper (which you can re-use) and place it underneath the parchment paper; remove before baking. Or directly draw circles on one side of the parchment paper and turn it over when ready to pipe.
5. Bake for 325°F for about 20 to 30 minutes or until they are golden brown.
6. Once done, leave them to cool before applying the buttercream.
How to Make the Buttercream:
1. Prepare a small pot, a stand mixer with a wire whisk attachment, and a candy thermometer.
2. In a small pot, combine the sugar and water, and stir to dissolve. Turn the stove to medium heat to bring the syrup to a boil.
3. While waiting for the syrup to reach a temperature of 240°F, place the egg yolks in the bowl of your stand mixer. Use the wire whisk attachment to beat the eggs at medium speed. Continue to beat until they thicken and become light in color.
4. Once the sugar syrup has reached a temperature of 240°F, take it off the stove .
5. Incorporate the syrup into the beaten egg yolks. Add the sugar in a slow and steady stream while continuously whipping the egg yolks.
6. Once all the sugar has been incorporated, continue to whip on medium high until the mixture has cooled. Check the bottom of the bowl; if it still feels warm, then continue to whip. After it has sufficiently cooled down, proceed to add the butter.
7. With the mixer still at medium high, start adding butter, about 1-2 squares/cubes at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Continue tuntil all butter has been incorporated.
8. Remove the wire whisk attachment from your stand mixer and replace with the paddle attachment, then add the vanilla. Continue to beat until the buttercream is smooth and velvety.
A few things to remember when making this buttercream:
- Constantly stir your egg yolk-sugar mixture so it doesn’t turn into scrambled eggs.
- Watch the temperature of the egg yolks – once it reaches 155°F/68°C the egg yolks should be fully cooked.
- Make sure you use cubed, softened butter. The butter must easily give way when you gently press your thumb onto it. But it should not look greasy or oily like it’s about to melt.
How to assemble Silvanas:
1. Spread 1-2 teaspoons of buttercream on the uneven side of the cookie.
2. Sandwich with another cookie (remember, smooth side out).
3. Fill in the sides and smoothen it out.
4. Roll in the cookie cashew crumbs.
5. Frost one side of the cookie sandwich (I don’t put a lot of buttercream on the outside of the cookie; just enough for the crumbs to stick).
6. Roll them in the graham cookie crumbs.
7. Frost the other side and roll that in the crumbs. Enjoy! Best paired with coffee or tea or milk or whatever drink you want!
