White chocolate, hazelnut and meringue sandwich

Method

1. For the mousse, first heat the cream until it just starts to boil. Immediately turn off the heat. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth and refrigerate. When cool whip it into fluffy, soft peaks. Return to the fridge.

2. In a clean dry bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add the sugar and continue whipping until glossy and stiff, about 30 seconds more. Fold this into the white chocolate mixture, then place into a piping bag ready to use.

3. To make the meringues, set the oven to 150°C/gas 2. Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor with 200g of the caster sugar, until smooth and fine. This will take approximately 10 to 15 seconds.

4. Mix together the hazelnut powder, remaining caster sugar and cornflour. Place the egg whites into a food mixer and whisk on a medium speed until they start to foam. Increase the speed to high and continue to whisk until they form stiff peaks. Fold in the icing sugar, followed by the hazelnut mixture, a little at a time.

5. Spoon the meringue mixture into piping bag without a nozzle. Pipe teardrop or rectangle shapes onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. The meringues will puff and begin to burst when they have finished baking and will be crispy on the outside but soft in the middle.

6. To serve, place a meringue onto the bottom of a plate, pipe some mousse over the top and finish with another meringue. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.