BANOFFEE ALMOND MERINGUE TORTE

SERVES 8

PREP AND COOK: 1 HOUR, 45 MINS

• 120g packet blanched

almonds

• 6 egg whites

• 1¾ cups raw caster sugar • 75g dark cooking chocolate,

chopped

• 125g cream cheese,

at room temperature

• 1½ cups thickened cream • 2 bananas, sliced

• Toasted flaked almonds,

to decorate

CARAMEL SAUCE

• ½ cup thickened cream

• ¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed

• ¼ cup golden syrup 1 Spread almonds over an oven tray. Cook in a moderate oven (180°C) for 7 minutes, until golden. Cool. Process in a food processor to finely chop. 2 Grease two large oven trays. Trace a 20cm circle on two pieces of baking paper. Place trace-side down on trays.

3 Beat egg whites in a large bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1½ cups of the sugar, 1 tblsp at a time, until dissolved. Continue to beat for about 8 minutes, or until meringue is thick and glossy. Fold in chopped almonds.

4 Divide meringue evenly between prepared circles. Smooth over the tops.

5 Cook in a very slow oven (120°C), swapping trays halfway through, for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until dry and crisp. Turn off oven.

Leave meringues to cool in oven with door ajar.

6 To make sauce, stir all ingredients in a small saucepan over heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil. Gently boil for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove. Cool.

7 Stir chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until smooth. Remove. Cool slightly. Drizzle evenly over meringue layers. Allow to set. 8 Beat cheese and remaining sugar in a small bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Add cream. Beat until soft peaks form.

9 Place one meringue layer, chocolate-side up on a plate. Spread with half the cream mixture. Top with half the bananas. Drizzle with 2 tblsps caramel sauce. Repeat layering with remaining meringue, cream and bananas. Decorate with flaked almonds. Drizzle over another 2 tblsps caramel sauce.

10 Serve torte with remaining caramel sauce.