Name: Silvanas (Filipino Frozen Cookie)
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H55M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT5H10M0.000S
Yield: 6 cookies
Cuisine: asian
Ingredients: 4 large egg whites; 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch; 1/4 cup finely ground cashews (cashew powder); 4 large egg yolks; 1/3 cup sugar; 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cubed and at room temperature; 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract; 2 cups salted cashews, roughly chopped

Directions

Special equipment:

a piping bag; a candy thermometer

For the meringue cookies: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar and beat on high speed until frothy. Slowly add the sugar, then continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add the cornstarch and beat until well incorporated, about 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the mixer and slowly fold in the cashew powder. Pipe the meringue into 4-inch rounds on the lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. (Once cooled, the meringues will be delicate and crispy in texture.)
For the French buttercream: In a mixing bowl, add the egg yolks and beat on high until fluffy and pale in color, about 5 minutes. While the yolks are mixing, add the sugar and 1/4 cup water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until it reaches 240 degrees F. Remove from the heat.
With the mixer still on high, slowly drizzle the hot sugar syrup into the egg yolks, being careful to not add too much at once to not curdle the yolks (see Cook’s Note). Beat until light and fluffy and the bottom of the bowl is cool or room temperature to the touch, 5 to 8 minutes. Once the bowl feels cool, slowly add the butter one cube at a time. Continue to beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat until everything is well mixed.
To assemble: Pipe French buttercream between 2 meringue cookies to make a sandwich. Spread the buttercream on the edges of the cookie to make it even. Spread the buttercream on both sides of the cookie. Roll in the chopped cashews until covered. Place in the freezer to set, a minimum of 2 hours.

Cook’s Note

When drizzling the hot sugar syrup into the mixing bowl, drizzle it against the side of the bowl, so it doesn’t directly fall into the egg yolks. At first, drizzle a little at a time with a slight pause before continuing. This tempers the egg yolks and prepares them for the remaining hot syrup. Doing this helps to avoid curdling the egg yolks.