Layered Hazelnut Pavlova with Mascarpone Cream and Berries

Ingredients

500g hazelnut kernals
250g egg whites
300g caster sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 vanilla bean pod
600ml thickened cream (filling)
250g mascarpone cheese, softened (filling)
1/2 cup caster sugar (filling)
2 punnets strawberries
2 punnets raspberries
1 punnet blueberries
Mint leaf tips (to serve)

Roast hazelnuts then rub in tea towel until skins are mostly removed. Chop the hazelnuts coarsely and set aside.

Keep the egg whites at room temp. Whisk eggs until stiff peaks form then add the caster sugar a little at a time and continue to whisk until mixture is glossy. Open the vanilla bean in half, remove the seeds with the tip of a knife and add to the egg whites. Add the hazelnuts and cinnamon then mix everything together gently till combined.

Take three pizza trays (or similar sized baking trays) and line with baking paper. Taking a round plate the same size as you would like to make the meringue layers to be, lay it on each piece of baking paper and trace around the plate with a permanent marker. Turn the baking paper over so the ink is on the bottom but still can be seen from the top.

Separate the mixture into three and place each portion on the centre of each circle. Gently spread the meringue out till it reaches the edge of the circle. Place each tray into the Baking Oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. The cooking must be done in the absence of moisture so leave the oven door open slightly, wedging the corner of the door open with the base of a wooden spoon.

Remove from oven and cool meringue circles completely (you can make these and leave overnight to cool).

To make the filling pour heavy cream into a large bowl and beat on high speed with an electric mixer. Gradually add in half the sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Add the mascarpone cheese and beat again, gradually adding the rest of the sugar continuing to beat until stiff peaks form.

Gently remove the meringue circles from the baking paper and place one on a serving dish as the base. Top with 1/3 of the filling and 1/4 of the berries (strawberries hulled and sliced). Top with another meringue layer, another 1/3 of the filling and 1/4 of the berries, then top with the final meringue layer, 1/3 of the filling and the remaining half of the berries scattered on top with 5-6 mint leaf tips.

Recipe from Chew Town http://chewtown.com/2014/09/layered-hazelnut-pavlova/