These are one of my favourite things from my mum’s recipe collection. They are a twist on your classic white meringues and the hazelnuts give a nice chewy texture to them.
INGREDIENTS
SERVES: 6
4 large egg whites
250g Demerara sugar
75g chopped hazelnuts (finely)
1tsp white wine vinegar
Praline and ricotta cream:
100g blanched and toasted hazelnuts
125g caster sugar
30g ricotta cheese
200ml double cream
75g icing sugar
30ml brandy
cocoa powder for dusting
METHOD
1: Firstly blitz the Demerara sugar in a coffee grinder or spice grinder to turn it into a powder. With an electric hand whisk or a table top kitchen until they reach the soft peak stage. Add the ground up Demerara sugar a spoonful at a time until it has all gone and the meringue is thick and glossy.
2: Fold in the finely chopped hazelnuts and the white wine vinegar. Pipe the mix out onto a baking tray lined with parchment in to 7-8cm circles. Place the tray into a pre-heated oven at 120°C and bake for 1 ½ hours.
3: After this time, turn the oven off and leave them to cool in the oven with the door open. When cool, remove them from the tray and place them into a air tight container until needed.
4: To make the praline and ricotta cream, lay the toasted hazelnuts on top of a tray lined with baking parchment and place to one side. Place the sugar in a pan and place onto a medium heat. Take the sugar to a caramel, be careful not to stir it too much or it may crystallise.
5: When it has reached caramel, pour it directly on top of the toasted hazelnuts and leave it to go cold. Whip up the icing sugar, brandy and double cream together to soft peaks. Beat the ricotta until soft and fold the cream into the cheese. Blitz the cold hazelnuts and caramel to make a praline. Fold this into the cream and ricotta.
6: To serve, stick two meringues together with a big dollop of the praline cream and dust in the cocoa powder. Stack them all on a plate and stick them in the middle of the table for everybody to help themselves.
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INGREDIENTS
SERVES: 6
4 large egg whites
250g Demerara sugar
75g chopped hazelnuts (finely)
1tsp white wine vinegar
Praline and ricotta cream:
100g blanched and toasted hazelnuts
125g caster sugar
30g ricotta cheese
200ml double cream
75g icing sugar
30ml brandy
cocoa powder for dusting
METHOD
1: Firstly blitz the Demerara sugar in a coffee grinder or spice grinder to turn it into a powder. With an electric hand whisk or a table top kitchen until they reach the soft peak stage. Add the ground up Demerara sugar a spoonful at a time until it has all gone and the meringue is thick and glossy.
2: Fold in the finely chopped hazelnuts and the white wine vinegar. Pipe the mix out onto a baking tray lined with parchment in to 7-8cm circles. Place the tray into a pre-heated oven at 120°C and bake for 1 ½ hours.
3: After this time, turn the oven off and leave them to cool in the oven with the door open. When cool, remove them from the tray and place them into a air tight container until needed.
4: To make the praline and ricotta cream, lay the toasted hazelnuts on top of a tray lined with baking parchment and place to one side. Place the sugar in a pan and place onto a medium heat. Take the sugar to a caramel, be careful not to stir it too much or it may crystallise.
5: When it has reached caramel, pour it directly on top of the toasted hazelnuts and leave it to go cold. Whip up the icing sugar, brandy and double cream together to soft peaks. Beat the ricotta until soft and fold the cream into the cheese. Blitz the cold hazelnuts and caramel to make a praline. Fold this into the cream and ricotta.
6: To serve, stick two meringues together with a big dollop of the praline cream and dust in the cocoa powder. Stack them all on a plate and stick them in the middle of the table for everybody to help themselves.
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COPYRIGHT 2024, TOM KERRIDGE. IMAGES CREDITED TO CRISTIAN BARNETT
