Chocolate and Hazelnut Meringues

Meringue, chocolate and hazelnut are flavours that complement each other wonderfully. These dessert meringues combine all three flavours deliciously and are super easy to make, but make sure you allow enough baking time. They need a long time in the oven and then extra time to cool, (still inside the oven) afterwards.

Ingredients

4 large free-range egg whites

250g caster sugar

2 tsp lemon juice

100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

100g dark chocolate, melted and cooled (but not set)

60g toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Makes: 8 large meringues

Equipment

Baking parchment

Large Tala baking sheet

Large mixing bowl

Hand-held mixer fitted with beater attachments

Measuring spoons

Large silicone headed spatula

Stainless steel tapered icing spatula

 Method:

1. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and set the oven to 120 degrees Celsius fan (248 degrees Fahrenheit).
2. Place the egg whites into the large mixing bowl and beat on a fast setting for about two minutes or until the whites stand up in stiff, snowy peaks.
3. Add the caster sugar gradually, spoonful by spoonful (after adding one spoonful, I count to 8 before adding the next).
4. When all of the sugar has been added and the meringue mixture looks glossy, add the lemon juice and beat again, briefly.
5. Reserve a handful of chopped hazelnuts for later and then fold the rest of the nuts into the meringue followed by the chopped chocolate.
6. Use the silicone headed spatula to drop eight large, well-spaced meringues onto the baking tray.
7. Drop a dessertspoon of melted dark chocolate onto the top of each meringue and swirl the chocolate and meringue mixture together. Finish with a sprinkling of the reserved chopped hazelnuts.
8. Bake for an hour and a half, and then allow to cool in the oven for another hour. The meringues taste wonderful warm so if you are inclined to serve them for dessert, you can bring them out of the oven earlier.