8 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8
teaspoon cream of tartar
8 oz castor or icing sugar
5 oz
almonds: ground
3 oz hazelnuts; grated
----BUTTER CREAM----
4 large egg
yolks
4 oz castor sugar
12 fl oz milk
5 oz unsalted
butter
2 oz almond brittle; powdered
3 oz hazelnuts; roasted
&
----DECORATION----
Grated : Icing
sugar : Blanched, toasted almond : _slivers
Preheat the oven
to 140C/275F/gas mark
1. Line a large baking sheet with Bakewell
parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and the salt
until the whites are stiff. Fold in the cream of tartar and 1
teaspoon of sugar then whisk in the remaining sugar until the
mixture is satiny and voluminous.
Fold in the ground almonds and grated hazelnuts.
spread the meringue mixture in 2 large discs on the prepared baking
sheet.
Bake for about 1 hour, or until the meringue is
slightly browned. when the paper can be peeled away without
sticking, the cakes are done. They will be slightly chewy.
To make the butter cream, put the egg yolks in a bowl.
Bring the milk to the boil in a saucepan and pour it on to the eggs,
beating thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a clean pan and, stirring
constantly, thicken the custard over low heat without allowing it to
boil. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool to tepid,
beat in the butter and the nuts and leave to become cold.
Sandwich the cakes with the butter cream. Sprinkle the
top with icing sugar and the toasted almond
slivers.