FROSTED MERINGUE CHRISTMAS PUDDING WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE & TOASTED HAZELNUTS

Darina says: “It’s fun to bring this chocolate- covered ‘pudding’ to the table with sparklers on top. Other meringue avours may also be used, but we love this combination”

SERVES 6 150g hazelnut meringue

1 tsp nely grated orange rind

½–1 tsp freshly ground cinnamon 600ml softly whipped cream

150g good-quality dark chocolate (we use Callebaut 52%), chopped

10g toasted, skinned hazelnuts or hazelnut praline

Method

1 Line a 1.2 litre pudding bowl with a double thickness of cling- lm. 2 First make the hazelnut meringue (see opposite). When completely cooked, break the hazelnut meringue into chunks and put into a wide bowl. Sprinkle the orange rind and ground cinnamon over the meringue and fold in the whipped cream. Pour into the lined pudding bowl, pressing down well. Cover with cling- lm and freeze overnight.

3 To serve, put the chocolate in a bowl set over hot water. Bring to the boil, then turn o the heat and allow the chocolate to gently melt in the residual heat. Allow the chocolate to cool a little while you turn the frozen meringue pudding out onto a cold serving plate. Pour the chocolate over the pudding, allowing it to drop down the edges (the chocolate will go solid). Decorate with the toasted hazelnuts or hazelnut praline and sprinkles or sparklers and serve immediately. HAZELNUT MERINGUE 40g hazelnuts

125g icing sugar, sieved

2 egg whites, preferably free-range and organic 1 Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

2 Put the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the skins start to ake away and the nuts are golden. Rub o the skins with a cloth and chop the hazelnuts roughly. 3 Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2. Mark 2 x 19cm circles or heart shapes on silicone paper or a prepared baking sheet. 4 Check that your mixing bowl is dry, spotlessly clean and free of grease. Mix all the icing sugar with the egg whites at once and beat until the mixture forms sti , dry peaks. Fold in the hazelnuts.

5 Divide the mixture between the 2 circles or heart shapes and spread evenly with a palette knife. Bake immediately in the cool oven for 45 minutes, until crisp – they should peel o the paper easily. Turn o the oven and allow the meringues to cool, if possible in the oven. HAZELNUT PRALINE 110g hazelnuts 110g sugar 1 Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Put the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the skins start to ake away and the nuts are golden.

2 Rub o the skins with a cloth and chop the hazelnuts roughly. Put the hazelnuts and sugar into a heavy saucepan over a low heat until the sugar gradually melts and turns a caramel colour. When the caramel stage is reached, and not before, carefully rotate the pan until the nuts are all covered with caramel. When the nuts go ‘pop’, pour this mixture onto a silicone mat or a lightly oiled Swiss roll tin, marble slab or parchment-lined tray. Allow to get quite cold. When the praline is hard, crush in a food processor or with a rolling pin – the texture should be coarse and gritty.