Hazelnut Meringue Surprise Food

HAZELNUT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a food processor, pulse hazelnuts until finely ground. In a medium heatproof bowl, combine egg whites, sugar, and pinch of salt. Set bowl over (not in) a pot with 2 inches simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until warm to the touch, about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and, using an electric mixer, beat mixture on high until thick and glossy, 3 minutes. With a rubber spatula, fold in hazelnuts.
• Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cracked on top, about 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let meringues cool to room temperature.

HAZELNUT MERINGUES WITH HAZELNUT PRALINE & CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 120C/100C fan/gas 1. For the meringues, whisk the egg whites with the lemon juice until soft peaks form. Add the caster sugar and continue whisking until stiff, add the icing sugar and ground nuts, then gently fold through until evenly combined. Line a baking tray with baking paper and pipe or spoon out rounds of meringue into 7cm discs. Bake for 1½-2 hrs until crisp outside but still soft in the centre. Leave to cool. You need 3 rounds per person. Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container for about 1 week.
• To make the hazelnut praline, warm a small heavy-based pan over a medium heat and cook the caster sugar until it melts and turns a rich caramel colour. Carefully swirl the hazelnuts around the pan (be careful, the sugar is very hot) and allow them to caramelise and brown - about 2 mins. Pour the mixture out onto a tray lined with baking paper. Leave to cool.
• Make the chocolate sauce by heating together 75ml water, the caster sugar and cocoa powder until boiling. Pour over the chocolate and whisk well until smooth.
• To serve, whisk the cream until soft peaks form. Finely chop the cooled praline by hand or in a food processor. Stir most of it through the whipped cream, setting a little aside. Place a meringue disc on each plate and top with a little of the cream. Add another disc, more cream, followed by the final disc. Top with icing sugar, cocoa powder and some of the reserved chopped praline, then spoon around some chocolate sauce

HAZELNUT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Hazelnut powder:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly butter it, set aside.
• If hazelnuts are raw, toast them in the oven, and then rub the skins off in a clean, dry dishtowel. Blanch toasted hazelnuts in boiling water for 30 seconds and then immediately chill them in ice water. Squeeze the nuts through the skins.
• Grind the hazelnuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade with 5 ounces confectioners' sugar, until smooth and fine, approximately 10 to 15 seconds.
• Whisk together the hazelnut powder, 2 ounces confectioners' sugar, and flour lightly.
• In a standing mixer, whip the egg whites on medium speed. When whites begin to foam, increase speed to high. When whites are at stiff peak, pour in the extra-fine sugar. Fold in dry ingredients in 3 additions.
• Pour meringue mixture into piping bag without a tip. Pipe teardrop shapes with 2-inch diameter bottoms onto prepared sheet pan.
• Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Meringues will puff and begin to burst when finished baking. Meringues will be crispy on the outside but soft in the middle.
• Serve immediately, or let cool and fill or top with ganache.
• In a small sauce pan heat the heavy cream, vanilla bean, and Frangelico to a simmer. Place chocolate into a metal bowl. Once the cream simmers, remove the vanilla bean and pour it over the chocolate, stir until smooth. Let it cool to room temperature. With a rubber spatula, scrape ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a medium size star tip, and pipe into Hazelnut Meringues.

TRAY-BAKED MERINGUE WITH PEARS, CREAM, TOASTED HAZELNUTS AND CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a sheet of waxed paper.
• Put your egg whites into a squeaky clean bowl, making sure there are absolutely no little pieces of egg shell or egg yolk in them. Whisk on medium until the whites form firm peaks. With your mixer still running, gradually add the sugar and the pinch of salt. Turn the mixer up to the highest setting and whisk for about 7 or 8 minutes, until the meringue mixture is white and glossy. To test whether it's done you can pinch some between your fingers - if it feels completely smooth it's ready; if it's slightly granular it needs a little more whisking.
• Dot each corner of the waxed paper with a blob of meringue, then turn it over and stick it to the baking sheet. Spoon the meringue out onto the paper. Using the back of a spoon, shape and swirl it into a rectangle. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour or until crisp on the outside and a little soft and sticky inside. At the same time, bake the hazelnuts on a separate sheet in the oven for 1 hour or until golden brown.
• Drain the cans of pears, reserving the syrup from 1 can. Cut each pear half into 3 slices. Pour the pear syrup into a saucepan with the ginger, if using, and warm gently over a medium heat until it starts to simmer. Take off the heat and snap the chocolate into the saucepan, stirring with a spoon until it's all melted.
• Take the meringue and hazelnuts out of the oven and leave to cool. Place the meringue on a nice rustic board or platter. Whip the cream with the sifted icing sugar and the vanilla seeds until it forms smooth, soft peaks. Smash the toasted hazelnuts (in a kitchen towel) and sprinkle half of them over the top of the meringue. Spoon half the whipped cream over the top and drizzle with some of the chocolate sauce (if the sauce has firmed up, melt it slightly by holding the saucepan over a large pan of boiling water). Divide most of the pear pieces evenly over the top. Pile over the rest of the whipped cream and pears. Drizzle with some more chocolate sauce, then sprinkle over the remaining toasted hazelnuts with some grated orange zest. Serve straightaway. If you're making this in advance, get everything ready and assemble at the last minute.