SERVES 68

4 medium free-range egg whites, at room temperature

225g (8oz) golden caster sugar
25g (1oz) ground hazelnuts
25g (1oz) chopped hazelnuts

FOR THE FILLING

300g (11oz) dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids),
broken into pieces
400ml (14fl oz) double cream
Preheat the oven to 140C/Gas 1. Line three baking sheets with greaseproof or baking paper.
Whisk the egg whites in a large, scrupulously clean bowl until they form stiff peaks. Whisk in the sugar a
spoonful at a time until the mixture is glossy and holding its shape. Finally, fold in the ground and chopped
hazelnuts.
Put a dab of the meringue mixture under each corner of the paper on the prepared sheets to keep it in place.
Now spoon equal amounts of the mixture into the middle of each sheet and shape each mound into a circle about
18cm (7in) wide.
Bake in the oven for 112 hours, or until crisp on the outside and still a little soft in the middle. Turn off the oven
and let the meringues cool inside with the door slightly ajar. When completely cold, they can be stored in an
airtight container for a week.
When youre ready to serve, make the filling. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering
water (it must not actually touch the water) and warm until melted. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks. Mix three-quarters of the melted chocolate into
the cream and fold in quickly and thoroughly, being careful not to overwork it.
Choose the best meringue for the top, then place one of the other meringues on a cake stand or serving plate.
Spread half the chocolate cream over it with a spatula. Place the second meringue on top and cover with the
remaining cream mixture. Sit the final meringue on the stack and drizzle the remaining melted chocolate over it.
HOW TO SPREAD MERINGUE NESTS EVENLY
Put four blobs of meringue on the corners of a baking tray to anchor the greaseproof paper in place. It then makes
it much easier to spread out the meringue in uniform nests
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2425035/Food-special-Hazelnut-meringue-tower.html#ixzz3n7mpC71C
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This twist on the famous French apple or pear tarte tatin is not only one of the easiest desserts in the world to
make but one of the most delicious. It also shows just how brilliantly unusual combinations can work. Black
pepper provides the heat and the pink peppercorns a mild fruitiness. I never bother making my own puff pastry at
home just make sure you buy an all-butter one.
SERVES 6
50g (2oz) butter, softened
1 vanilla pod, split open and seeds scraped out
12 tsp pink peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
12 tsp black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
100g (312 oz) caster sugar
6 large ripe bananas, peeled
320g ready-rolled sheet of all-butter puff pastry
Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.
Spread the butter evenly across the base of a 20cm (8in) ovenproof frying pan. Add both the vanilla pod and
seeds. Top with a third of the crushed peppercorns, then sprinkle over the sugar.
Peel the bananas and cut into pieces 3cm4cm (114 in -112 in) thick. Arrange them cut side down in
concentric circles in the pan so that they are the same height as the rim. Sprinkle over another third of the
crushed peppercorns.
Unroll the pastry sheet and, using a plate slightly larger than the top of the pan, cut out a circle. Drape the
pastry over the bananas and tuck the edges down the sides of the pan with the back of a spoon. Pierce the pastry
a few times with the tip of a sharp knife.
Place the pan over a medium-high heat for 34 minutes, until the sugar dissolves, then shake gently as it
caramelises to a toffee colour and starts to bubble up the sides. Transfer to the oven and bake for 3035 minutes,
until the pastry is golden brown. Leave the tarte to stand for 10 minutes, then invert it carefully on to a serving
dish.
Remove the vanilla pod, sprinkle the tarte with the remaining crushed peppercorns, then cut into wedges and
serve.
HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT TARTE TATIN

Its important to make a couple of holes in the pastry lid, otherwise the steam caught underneath will stop the
pastry from cooking. Before turning out the tarte, give it a quick blast of heat on the hob, shaking the pan slightly
to help to release the fruit cleanly from the caramel.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2419892/Food-special-Spiced-banana-tarte-tatin.html#ixzz3nJaaZ08B
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