Hazelnut Gateau

For a really stunning dinner party dessert you would find this hazelnut gateau, with its light meringue base and subtle chocolate filling very hard to beat. Follow my steps closely for best results. The meringue needs to completely dry out and that means careful preparation and cooking.

Ingredients are shown in metric and US equivalents. Use one set only

Method:

If you have bought hazelnuts with skins on, toast them until well browned, allow them to cool a little, and rub the loosened skins off. Don't worry if there's a small amount left sticking to each nut, that happens.

If you bought them skin free in the first place, just toast them in a moderate to cool oven until brown. Take two thirds of them and chop finely in a food processor. Grind the remaining third to a flour-like consistency.

Line two lightly oiled, 20cm (8 inch) spring form tins with grease-proof paper.

Prepare the meringue:

Whisk the egg whites until they stand up in stiff peaks, then whisk in half the castor sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture becomes stiff and satiny looking. Sprinkle the remaining sugar on top and fold it lightly into the mixture using a metal spoon. Do the same with three quarters of the chopped nuts. Divide this mixture between the prepared cake tins.

On one cake tin only, sprinkle the remaining chopped nuts over the meringue. This will be the top of your gateau.

Bake in the bottom of an oven set to 150°C, 300°F, gas mark 1½, for 1½ hours. Allow to cool in a slightly opened oven and then carefully remove the meringues from the spring form tins. Peel off the grease proof paper and place on a flat surface.

Prepare the chocolate gonache:

Do this while the meringue is cooking. Chop the chocolate roughly and put it in a small saucepan with half the cream. Warm gently until the chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, remove from the heat immediately and stir in the ground hazelnuts. Allow to cool. Whip the remaining cream with a little sugar.

Carefully spread the gonache over the plain meringue round (the one without nuts on it) and top with the whipped cream. This is your base. Finish by carefully placing the hut-topped meringue on the base, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Serve dusted with a little grated chocolate and icing sugar.

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