Free Healthy Recipe - Hazelnut Meringue

Preheat oven to 150°C. Roast hazelnut on an oven tray for 40 minutes. Take out of oven and tip hazelnuts onto a clean tea towel. Whilst warm, rub hazelnuts so all or most of the skin falls off. Discard skins and divide hazelnuts in half. Whiz half the hazelnuts in a food processor for 1-2 minutes to make hazelnut meal. And roughly chop the other half of the hazelnuts and put to one side.

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Then add salt and sugar gradually and beat for another 5 minutes until the egg whites are glossy. Egg whites are done when the mixture is rubbed between two fingers and feels smooth. If still gritty, needs a little more beating. When done, gently fold in the hazelnut meal and half of the chopped hazelnuts. Then turn out onto an oven tray lined with baking paper and spread out evenly. Bake for 1 hour then take out of oven and let cool completely.

For a Christmas treat, break meringue into large chunky pieces and serve with fresh summer fruits, yoghurt or cream and the rest of the chopped hazelnuts to garnish. Yum!