Ingredients
1 cup hazelnuts (140g), toasted (See Tip)
6 egg whites
1 ½ cups caster sugar
150g dark cooking chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons thickened cream
COFFEE CREAM
250g block cream cheese, chopped, at room temperature
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup coffee-flavoured liqueur
2 ¼ cups thickened cream
HAZELNUT BARK
150g dark cooking chocolate, melted
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
Method
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Trace a 20cm circle on two sheets of baking paper. Place paper, trace-side down on two greased oven trays.
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Process hazelnuts in a food processor until finely chopped.
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Beat egg whites in a large bowl of an electric mixer until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down side of bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally. Beat for a further 6 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth and glossy. Fold in hazelnuts.
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Divide evenly between traced circles. Spread to edges.
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Cook in a slow oven (150C) for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until dry and firm to touch. Remove. Cool on trays.
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Place chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl. Sit bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Spread evenly over meringue rounds. Refrigerate on trays for about 20 minutes, or until just set.
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To make coffee cream, beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Add liqueur and cream. Beat until soft peaks form.
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Sandwich meringues together, chocolate-side up, with half the coffee cream on a serving plate. Top with remaining coffee cream. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 6 hours, or overnight.
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To make hazelnut bark, grease an oven tray and line with baking paper. Spread chocolate thinly into a 20cm x 25cm rectangle over prepared tray. Sprinkle with hazelnuts. Refrigerate until set. Break into pieces.
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To serve, decorate top with hazelnut bark.
