Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake with Crispy Almond Meringue Layers

Preheat oven to 225. Trace three 8" circles (use the bottom of an 8" springform pan) on very lightly buttered parchment lined cookie sheets. Sift 3 TBS sugar with the powdered sugar. Beat the whites in a mixer until frothy. Add 3 TBS sugar, beat to soft peaks. Add 1/2 cp sugar mixture, beat to stiff peaks. Fold in remaining sugar and almonds. Scoop the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe the meringue on the parchment in a spiral starting from the center of the circle making a disk about 3/4" thick. Bake the disks for 1.25 hours swapping the positions of the three cookie sheets in the oven every 20 minutes. Cool the cookie sheets on racks for 10 minutes. Carefully peel the disks from the parchment and cool on the racks 30 minutes. Bring one cup cream and 1/4 cup sugar to a boil. Pour over the chocolate in a large bowl, wait one minute, then stir to melt the chocolate. Stir in the chambord or vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap. Soften gelatin in 2 TBS cold water. Press the thawed raspberries through a sieve to remove seeds. Microwave the pulp and syrup uncovered on high for 3 minutes. Microwave at 50% for 4-6 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup (or reduce the raspberry in a sauce pan on low heat to 1/2 cup). Dissolve the softened gelatin in the hot raspberry mixture. Stir in 1/2 cup of the ganache. Cover and refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes or until cold. Beat 1 2/3 cups cream with 1/4 cup sugar to soft peaks. Fold in the chocolate/raspberry mixture. Cut out a cardboard round the same size as the bottom of an 8" springform pan. Assemble the pan with the cardboard in place of the bottom. Trim the cooled meringue disks with a sharp knife so that they fit in the pan. Place one disk in the bottom of the pan and scoop in a little less than 1/2 of the mousse on the disk. Cover with the second disk and scoop in the same amount of the mousse. Place the last disk on top and refrigerate for 1 hour. Undo the springform, remove the cake on the cardboard circle. Frost the sides of the cake with the ganache. Serve as soon as possible.