Ingredients for the meringue: 6 egg whites, 375 g caster sugar, 150 g ground hazelnuts
Ingredients for the chocolate cream filling: 125 g dark chocolate, 4 tbsp water, 500 ml cream
For the garnish: 50 g chocolate
Method:
First line two baking trays with baking paper. Beat the egg whites until stiff and stir in two tablespoons of the sugar. Then fold in the remaining sugar and the ground hazelnuts in batches. Fill the meringue mixture into a piping bag with a nozzle and pipe two circles – or alternatively two squares – each about 25 centimetres in diameter onto the baking sheets. Bake the meringue mixture in a preheated oven at 120 degrees for two hours. When the mixture is firm, you can remove it from the oven and let it cool.
In the meantime, you can prepare the chocolate cream filling. First, break the dark chocolate into pieces and place in a small heatproof bowl with four tablespoons of water. Heat the water in a saucepan and melt the chocolate over it in the small bowl. Beat the cream until it starts to thicken, add the slightly cooled chocolate and continue to beat until stiff.
Spread one meringue half with three quarters of the chocolate cream, place the second meringue on top and press down. Use the remaining cream to pipe rosettes around the top. For the garnish, melt 50 grams of chocolate, fill into a piping bag and decorate the meringue cake with it.
Our Wine recommendation:
A red wine goes wonderfully with a dark chocolate dessert. How about the Neil Ellis Bottelary Pinotage 2018, for example? Thanks to its beautiful fruit aromas, surrounded by a hint of delicate rose petals, and the fine tannins, this red wine is the perfect companion for dessert. For those who prefer the Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety, the Neil Ellis Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2018 is a good choice, as the well-integrated tannins and fruity aromas on dark berries are a good complement to the chocolate-filled meringue.