Banoffee meringue with honeycomb

SERVES 12 PREP AND COOK TIME 3 HOURS (+ COOLING TIME)

4 egg whites

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

¼ cup (55g) caster sugar

¾ cup (165g) firmly packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons cornflour

1 teaspoon white vinegar ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 (400g) medium bananas, sliced 1 tablespoon caster sugar, extra 300ml thick cream (56% butter fat) 100g honeycomb, chopped coarsely

DULCE DE LECHE

395g canned sweetened condensed milk

DULCE DE LECHE Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Pour the condensed milk into a 1.5-litre (6-cup) ceramic ovenproof dish. Cover dish tightly with foil; crush the excess foil upwards. Place the ceramic dish in a medium baking dish; add enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the ceramic dish. Bake for 1 hour.

Whisk the mixture; cover, bake for a further 30 minutes or until a golden caramel colour, adding extra boiling water to the baking dish as needed to maintain the water level. Remove the ceramic dish from the water; cool.

Whisk the mixture until smooth.

Transfer to a medium bowl; cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Preheat oven to 120°C (100°C fan-forced). Line two large oven trays with baking paper. Mark two 12.5cm x 30cm rectangles on the baking paper; turn, marked-side down, on trays.

Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and the sugars in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for 8 minutes or until thick and glossy and the sugar is dissolved. Beat in cornflour, vinegar and vanilla extract on low speed. Divide the mixture evenly between trays, spreading to cover just inside the marked rectangles; swirl the meringue.

Bake meringue for 1 hour or until dry to touch. Cool in oven with door ajar.

Place the banana slices, in a single layer, on an oven tray; sprinkle with extra caster sugar. Using a blowtorch, caramelise the sugar.

Whisk the Dulce De Leche in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk the cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form.

Place one meringue on a platter.

Spread two-thirds of the cream on meringue. Drop spoonfuls of half the Dulce De Leche on the cream. Repeat layering with the remaining meringue, cream and Dulce De Leche. Top with banana slices and honeycomb.

Step 7A Layering with cream Assemble meringue. Spread cream using an offset spatula or the back of dessert spoon, leaving a border of meringue; top with the Dulce De Leche, then another meringue layer.

Step 3 Spreading the meringue Place spoonfuls of meringue close together just inside traced rectangle. Fill centre with random spoonfuls. Spread mixture evenly, from the outside in. Avoid touching edges.

Step 7B Spooning the Dulce De Leche Top the second meringue layer with the remaining cream then drizzle over the remaining Dulce De Leche, before finishing with banana slices and honeycomb.

Step 5 Caramelising the bananas Hold a blowtorch 10cm above the bananas. Adjust the flame so the inner, darker portion almost touches the sugar; move it in slow, sweeping movements.