Gingerbread chocolate

MERINGUE COOKIES WITH WARM BRANDY CUSTARD

MAKES 10

100g brown sugar

3 cups (360g) pure icing sugar, sifted

1 tbs cornflour

1 cup (100g) good-quality cocoa

30g dark (70%) chocolate, chopped

1 tbs ground ginger

3 tsp mixed spice

3 eggwhites, plus 1 whole egg (use 55g eggs for this recipe), whisked together until foamy

BRANDY CUSTARD

6 egg yolks

½ cup (110g) caster sugar

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

600ml pure (thin) cream

1 cinnamon quill

100ml brandy

Preheat oven to 170°C. Line 2 trays with baking paper. Place brown sugar, icing sugar, cornflour, cocoa, chocolate and spices in a large bowl and stir to completely combine. Make a well in the centre and add the whisked eggwhites and whole egg mixture, and fold together until well combined.

Working with ¼ cup mixture at a time, shape into rounds on baking trays, leaving 6cm between each cookie. Place trays in the oven and bake, swapping trays halfway, for 20 minutes or until just firm. Remove from oven and slide baking paper with cookies onto wire racks to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, for brandy custard, whisk egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until pale. Place cream and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to just below boiling point. Gradually pour cream mixture over egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly, until well combined. Return to saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 6 minutes or until custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir through brandy. Dip cookies into warm custard to serve.