Recipe: Coffee and hazelnut meringues by Eric Lanlard

Treat yourself to these delectable meringues by French master pâtissier Eric Lanlard

Meringues are so much fun to make…you can flavour them with so many ingredients, tint them the colours of the rainbow…the sky’s the limit!

These are simply flavoured with coffee extract and baked with a hazelnut praline and, of course, served with a whipped vanilla cream.

Ingredients

oil, for greasing

4 egg whites

225g (8oz) golden icing sugar

2 tsp coffee extract

250ml (9floz) whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

grated dark chocolate, to decorate

For the hazelnut praline

100g (3½oz) caster sugar

100g (3½oz) blanched hazelnuts, roasted

Method

Preheat the oven to 120°C (fan 100°C)/250°F/gas mark ½.Lightly grease a baking sheet with oil and line a second baking sheet with baking paper.

First, make the praline. Gently melt the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat, swirling the pan to make sure it melts evenly. Do not stir, as this may cause it to seize. When melted, increase the heat slightly and bubble until it turns an amber colour. Stir in the nuts, then pour on to the oiled baking sheet and leave to cool.

In a large, clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Whisk in half the icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Carefully fold in the remaining sugar, followed by the coffee extract.

Spread the mixture into 12 circles, 6cm (2½in) in diameter, on the lined baking sheet. Break the praline up into small pieces and scatter most of it over the meringues, reserving some for decoration.

Bake in the oven for 1½–2 hours until the meringues are dry and lift easily from the paper. Leave to cool completely.

Whip the cream and vanilla paste together to soft peaks. Spoon on to the cool meringues and scatter over the reserved praline. Sprinkle with grated chocolate and serve immediately.

Recipe from Eric Lanlard’s Afternoon Tea, £20, by Mitchell Beazley.

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