A word of warning: caramelizing honey reeks to high heaven! I have never smelled anything so foul and subsequently eaten it in my life. (Of course, I've never had durian.) So make this just before you intend to leave the kitchen for a good long time. Yet, oddly enough, this digusting-smelling (and tasting, really) substance is very good in the finished product. I used Valrhona Guanaja (a sharp, strong bittersweet couverture) when I first made this, and it's quite good that way, but the last time I made it I used Cacao Berry's Tanzanie, which has a slightly more rounded flavor that balances the caramelized honey much better.
Be sure to make the ganache at least 12 hours before you intend to assemble the cake, as it will need about that long to set up. Try not to refrigerate the cake before serving; it's all right if you have to, but the texture of the ganache will be much nicer if you don't.
3/4 cup honey (I used clover honey; perhaps another kind would
smell better!)
1 3/8 cups heavy cream
3 Tbsp. butter
8 oz. extra-bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 cups pecan halves
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar
7 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
For the ganache: Measure the honey into a large, high-sided, heatproof, microwavable bowl. (My 1-quart Pyrex measuring cup worked beautifully. You need something really heatproof, as caramelizing sugar is very, very hot.) Microwave on high power until it comes to a boil, then stop and swirl it. Continue to microwave on high power, stopping to swirl very frequently (about every 30 seconds or so) until it's caramelized. This will probably take from 5-10 minutes, depending on your microwave. I'm afraid you'll have to watch it pretty closely during this process, as it can go from not done to horribly burnt surprisingly quickly. When the honey reaches a medium brown color and the horrible smell from it is JUST BARELY starting to have a "cooked" (well, "burnt" really, but "cooked" sounds ever so much nicer) note to it, remove it from the microwave. VERY SLOWLY, VERY CAREFULLY add 3/8 cup (3 fl. oz.) of the heavy cream, a little bit at a time, while stirring with a clean, long-handled wooden spoon. If you dump in too much cream all at once it will explode! The caramel is extremely hot at this point, and if you're not careful you will be horribly maimed. I accept no liability. Continue adding cream, very slowly and carefully, while stirring, until it no longer foams up. Then you may add the remaining cream in a slow, steady stream, while stirring constantly. Add the butter and stir until combined.
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream to a gentle boil and pour over the chocolate. Wait 30 seconds to allow the chocolate to melt, then whisk until smooth. Gently whisk in the caramel. Let it cool just a bit, then whisk in the vanilla extract. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit undisturbed until the ganache sets up, about 12 hours.
For the dacquoise: Cut pieces of baking parchment to fit your oven and mark three 8-inch circles on them, at least 1 inch apart. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Grind the pecans with 3/4 cup of sugar in a food processor until the nuts are finely ground. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks start to form. Sprinkle the remaining 2 Tbsp. of sugar over the egg whites, then beat until they hold stiff, shiny peaks. Sprinkle the ground nut mixture over the meringue and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold it in, just until combined. Do not overfold, as this will deflate the meringue. Spread the mixture on the prepared parchment, just filling the marked circles, and immediately bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely before carefully peeling the parchment from the meringue circles.
Assemble the dacquoise by placing one meringue circle on a serving plate, frosting it with about 1/4 of the ganache, topping it with another meringue circle, another 1/4 of the ganache, and the remaining meringue circle. Frost the top and sides of the cake before spreading any remaining ganache on top. Sprinkly lightly with cinnamon, if desired.