Hazelnut Meringue Pavlova Recipes

HAZELNUT PAVLOVA TART WITH VANILLA-SCENTED RHUBARB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275°F Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan and line both the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
• Stir the ground hazelnuts with 1/3 cup of the sugar and the cornstarch and set aside.
• Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy, then slowly pour in the remaining 2/3 cup of the sugar while beating and continue to whip the whites until they hold a stiff peak when the beaters are lifted (the whites will be thick and glossy).
• Fold the hazelnut mixture into the whipped whites, then fold in the vinegar and vanilla. Spoon the meringue into the prepared pan and use your spatula to spread it into a tart shape, spreading the meringue fully up the sides of the pan and an inch in thickness (it will shift a little when it bakes, but ultimately holds its shape).
• Bake for 90 to 120 minutes, until the meringue just starts to turn light brown and fills firm to the touch.
• Cool the meringue for 15 minutes, then gently pop the latch and carefully remove the springform ring. Cool completely and then peel away the parchment paper. If the paper does not peel away easily, return the meringue to the 275F oven (without the springform ring) for 10 ti 15 minutes just to dry a little more.
• Prepare the rhubarb by stirring the fruit with the sugar and the scraped seeds from the vanilla bean in the saucepot, and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally until the rhubarb is tender, about 1 minutes. Stir the cornstarch with 2 tbsp of cold water and stir this into the rhubarb. Return the mixture to a simmer, stirring gently until thickened. Then remove from the heat and chill until ready to assemble.
• Whip the cream until it holds as soft peak, then stir in the sugar and vanilla and chill until ready to assemble.
• The pavlova should be assembled immediately before serving. Carefully place the meringue onto a platter, then dollop the Chantilly cream in the centre and spread gently. Spoon the rhubarb over the cream and serve. Slice and serve as you would a cake or tart.

HAZELNUT MERINGUE SURPRISE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter and line the bases and sides of 2 x 20cm springform tins with baking parchment. Grind the hazelnuts and icing sugar in a food processor until fine. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, add half the caster sugar and whisk again until stiff, then repeat with the rest of the caster sugar. Fold in the vanilla, vinegar and ground nut mixture until well combined. Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 25-30 mins until the tops are firm to the touch. Remove and cool in the tins on a wire rack. The meringues are very fragile and may crack a little, but don't worry.
• While the meringues cool, make the chocolate cream. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then remove from the heat. Leave to cool slightly, then stir in the cream and leave to set in a cool place.
• Carefully remove the cooled meringues from the tins and put one layer onto a serving plate. Lightly crush half of the berries with a fork. Using a palette knife, spread half the chocolate cream over the meringue and spoon over the berries. Top with the remaining layer, then ice with chocolate cream and decorate with remaining berries. Chill until serving.

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