Chocolate meringues with chocolate cream

Ingredients:

Preparation Time: less than 30 mins Cooking Time: 30 mins to 1 hour Serving: makes 16-20 nests Credit: Rachel Allen

For the chocolate meringues:

• 3 egg whites
• 150g/5½oz golden caster sugar
• 50g/2oz good quality dark chocolate, grated or finely chopped
• 2 tsp cocoa, sieved

For the cream:

• 100g/3½oz chocolate
• 50ml/2fl oz double cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1.
2. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
3. In a clean, dry bowl whisk egg whites until soft peaks form.
4. Gradually whisk in the sugar until stiff peaks form.
5. Stir together the chocolate and cocoa and fold gently into the meringue.
6. Spoon tablespoons of the mixture onto the prepared trays and quickly put in the oven before the mixture loses volume.
7. Cook for 40 minutes.
8. To make the cream, gently melt the chocolate with the cream in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan.
9. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool.
10. To serve, make a 'sandwich' using two meringues and the chocolate cream as the filling.

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