Dacquoise
Dacquoise is a nut meringue layer: whipped whites and sugar folded together with ground nuts — usually almond or hazelnut — and a little icing sugar, then piped and baked.
A classic dacquoise contains little or no flour, so the structure comes from the nut flour and the meringue. Baked, it is crisp outside and slightly chewy within; over time, absorbing moisture from the cream around it, it softens and turns tender — a property used deliberately when assembling cakes.
It is baked at a moderate temperature: the aim is to dry it out, not to colour it. Too hot an oven sets a crust before the centre has baked.
The name comes from the town of Dax in south-west France. Dacquoise is widely used as a cake base and as a layer where nuttiness and textural contrast are wanted; the classic Succès is built on it, as are many modern entremets.