Hazelnut, Chocolate and Turkish Delight Meringues

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Put the hazelnuts in a shallow baking tray and roast in the oven until the skins are starting to split and the nuts are golden. Watch carefully as nuts can over-brown very quickly. Tip into a clean tea towel and rub off the skins. Cool and chop finely.

Reduce the oven temperature to 125°C.

Cut the Turkish delight into very small pieces. Toss with the hazelnuts and cardamom to separate the pieces. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks just form then gradually add the icing sugar, beating until very thick and glossy. Using a large metal spoon, fold in the nut mixture.

Place small spoonfuls on lined baking trays or alternatively, spoon into a piping bag with a wide nozzle and pipe small meringues. Dust the tops lightly with a little cocoa. Bake for 40 minutes or until crisp. The meringues will feel a little sticky due to the Turkish delight. Transfer to a cooling rack.

To serve: Spread half the meringues with Nutella and sandwich together with the remaining meringues. Unfilled meringues will keep for 3 days in an airtight container. Makes about 60 small, single meringues.

Dutch cocoa: this richer, darker cocoa has an alkali added, which neutralizes the cocoa’s acidity. The process is known as ‘dutching’ – the cocoa is not from Holland. It is readily available from specialty stores.