Dacquoise with Lemon Curd, Cream and Berries

A dacquoise is a French dessert made of meringue disks assembled into a cake. This version with curd and berries is perfect for spring and summer.

1/2 cup (60g) almond flour
1/2 cup (60g) confectioners' sugar
1 cup (140g) whole roasted and salted almonds I like the bit of saltiness to balance all the sweet of the meringue
1 cup (240ml) egg whites, from about 6 eggs at room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup (200g) superfine sugar

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F / 107 degrees C. Trace two 8-inch (20cm) circles on each of two sheets of parchment paper and set them, upside down, on two 16 by 11-inch (41cm by 28cm) jelly-roll pans. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour and confectioners' sugar. Set aside.
In a food processor, pulse the almonds to crush them. You want the pieces to be just big enough to add texture.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar and beat on medium-high speed, until they start to foam, about 45 seconds. Turn the speed to medium-low and slowly sprinkle the sugar to create a French meringue. Turn the speed to high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Using the whisk attachment, fold in the almond flour mixture, then fold in the crushed almonds.
Divide the batter evenly among the circles on the prepared parchment paper. Using an offset cake spatula, spread the batter, making sure all the circles are even so they bake at the same rate.
Bake until the dacquoise are dry, about 90 minutes. Turn off the oven (don't open the door), turn on the oven light (if your oven doesn't have a light, continue baking for 15 minutes more), and let the dacquoise sit in the cooling oven for at least 2 hours; it can be stored like this overnight or even up to 24 hours. Leaving the light on ensures it will stay dry.

In a medium stainless-steel bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, butter and salt.
Put 1 inch (2.5cm) of water in the bottom of a double boiler or a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Place the bowl with the lemon mixture over the simmering water.
Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture constantly, making sure to clean the sides of the bowl as you go, until the lemon curd begins to thicken, about 10 minutes; it will be the consistency of smooth pudding.
If there are any lumps in the curd, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a shallow container and cover with plastic wrap, pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
In a large bowl, add enough ice cubes and cold water to create a bath for the container to sit in without the water breaching the sides.
Set the container in the ice bath or place in the freezer until chilled, about 15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla and beat on medium speed until just thick—it will start to leave marks from the whisk in the cream.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using the whisk attachment, continue whipping by hand for several seconds until the cream reaches the desired consistency; this way, you can ensure the mixer won't take it too far. Whipped cream is best used right away.

Spread the chocolate in a very thin layer on a piece of parchment paper. Freeze the chocolate. Paint it with edible Luster Dust and then break into shards. If your house is warm, you may need to freeze again after painting, but just for a few minutes.

Place one dacquiose disk on a serving plate, cover with one-fourth of the whipped cream, swirl one-fourth of the lemon curd into the cream, and the top with one-fourth of the berries. Repeat with the remaining disks, whipped cream, curd, and berries. Decorate with the shards of chocolate, if desired.
Refrigerate the dacquoise for 1 hour before serving to make cutting easier.