Chocolate Hazelnut Meringues

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Place hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce the heat to 140 degrees C.

Once hazelnut have cooled, place in a bag and smash slightly to create crushed hazelnut piece. Alternatively place in a food processor and process until small broken pieces are formed. Keep aside for later.

Place egg whites, pinch of salt and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer attached. Whisk on low speed for a minute and then increase to a medium speed for another 3 minutes or until the egg whites form stiff peaks. Then, while continuing to whisk, gradually add caster sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is stiff and glossy (takes about 5-10 minutes)

Using a large metal spoon, place dollops of the meringue mixture onto a lined baking tray. They will spread slightly so space evenly apart.

Bake for 40 minutes or until the meringues look pale and dry. Turn off the oven and leave them to cool completely.

Place half the chocolate in a sauce pan and melt on the stove on a low heat. Once just melted, add the rest of the chocolate and whisk to combine. This is a cheat’s way to tempering chocolate so it sets better.

Pour spoonfuls of the chocolate over the meringues and cover with crushed hazelnuts. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to set or if you can’t wait then eat immediately (it might just be a bit messy but there’s no problem with that!)