Ingredients
(Serves 8)
6 egg whites
300 g caster sugar
3 tsp lemon juice
500 g Avonmore Carmel whipped cream
60 g finely chopped pecans
For decoration (optional)
2 squares dark chocolate to make star
3 tbsp caster sugar
Ready-made caramel sauce
1 tbsp pecans crushed
Method
1. Preheat the oven 140°C (gas mark1) Line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment paper. Add the egg whites and lemon juice to a clean bowl, beat them for about 2 minutes until soft white peaks form. Add the sugar slowly 1 tablespoon at a time and keep beating until stiff peaks form.
2. Spoon just under half of the meringue mix onto one of the lined baking trays and spread it out to make a circle shape about 8 inches in diameter (this is will be the base) sprinkle half of the pecans on the top of the circle
3. Fill a medium freezer or sandwich bag with the remainder of the meringue mix and snip the end of the bag to form a piping bag. Pipe cookie sized amounts of the meringue mix onto the second lined baking tray, leaving space between and sprinkle remainder of the chopped pecans over top. Place baking trays in the oven and bake for one hour. Allow meringue base and cookie sized meringues to rest on the baking trays until completely cooled.
4. Add the sugar to a pot and melt the sugar until it’s a light golden-brown liquid. Working quickly drizzle the sugar over a sheet of parchment paper and allow to cool completely.
5. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave. Pour the melted chocolate into the star shape and allow to cool and harden.
6. Place the meringue base on a cake stand or serving plate. Spoon 1/3 of the cream and smooth it with a spatula. Add a layer of the meringue cookies and another layer of the caramel cream, smoothing it gently and repeat this until you have an inverted cone shape.
7. Break the cooled sugar pieces, sprinkle them over the top and add the pecans. Top with a big shard of the cooled sugar and the chocolate star. Drizzle the caramel sauce and serve immediately.
Tip if you don't have the caramel flavored cream, just whip ordinary double cream and add a few drops of caramel essence
Enjoy Jxxx