Recipe - Mocha-Almond Biscotti

2 One half cup Heavy cream, well chilled
1/3 cup Strained confectioner's
sugar
3 tablespoon Strained unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon Coffee zest (see note)
2 tablespoon Kahlua or Tia Maria
One half teaspoon Unsweetened cocoa, for
garnish

Pour cream into a wellchilled mixing bowl. Beat in
an electric mixer fitted with chilled beaters or whip
attachment. Stir in the confectioner's sugar and
cocoa and beat on medium speed until the cream begins
to thicken. Add the coffee zest and liqueur. Continue
whipping until cream reaches the soft peak stage, and
remove from the mixer. Finish beating by hand using a
wire whisk, whipping until cream is quite thick but
not grainy. Refrigerate. Note: to make coffee zest,
add 3 parts coffee crystals to 1 part boiling water.
To assemble the cake, split each layer into halves.
Set the first layer on a serving plate, top side down.
Fit a 14inch pastry bag with a large no. 5 plain
tube, and fill it 1/3 rd full with mocha whipped
cream. Starting One half inch from the edge, pipe a circle
of cream around the top of the layer. Fill center of
the circle with additional cream, smoothing surface
with a large metal offset spatula. Repeat with the
second and third layers, placing them cut side up.
Arrange the top layer cut side down, aligning layers
so the sides of the cake are even.
Empty the remaining whipped cream into the pastry bag.
Pipe One half inch whipped cream dots on the top layer,
beginning at the outer edge. Each dot should touch the
preceding one, forming a ring. Continue working
toward the center of the cake until the entire surface
is covered.
Place One half tsp cocoa in a very fine mesh strainer.
Gently tap the strainer over the surface of the cake
to give it a light dusting of cocoa. Place the cake
in the refrigerator uncovered to chill, but remove
from refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.
Storage: Store leftover cake in the refrigerator
under a foil tent. This cake will keep for up to three
days.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini