Dacquoise with nectarines

ingredients

• Dacquoise with nectarines

  • 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 cup water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 strips lemon rind
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 8 nectarines or apricots
  • 4 medium free-range egg whites
  • 200 gram caster sugar
  • 100 gram slivered almonds
  • 1 pinch cream of tartar
  • 300 millilitre double cream, whipped, to sandwich
  • icing sugar, to decorate

method

• Dacquoise with nectarines

  • 1

    Dissolve granulated sugar in the water in a medium-sized frying pan on the stovetop. Add cinnamon stick, lemon rind and vanilla pod. Bring to a bubble and cook for 1 minute.

  • 2

    Halve nectarines and remove stones if possible. Add nectarines to pan cut-side down. Poach gently for about 12-15 minutes, until tender. Cool in the liquid. Remove half the nectarines from syrup, drain briefly and return drained syrup to pan. Chop flesh and reserve. Repeat with remaining nectarines but return these to the pan.

  • 3

    Preheat oven to 140°C. Whisk the egg whites until very stiff using a balloon whisk and a large grease-free bowl. (The best result is achieved with a copper bowl because it keeps the foam stable, but glass, china or stainless steel can be used.) Add 4 teaspoons of the caster sugar and whisk for 1 minute more. Using a large mixing spoon, fold in the remaining sugar, almonds and cream of tartar until just mixed.

  • 4

    Have ready two baking sheets lined with baking paper, each with an 18cm circle traced in pencil (flip paper so pencil marks don’t come in contact with meringue). Spread mixture into rounds on the paper, smoothing the edges, but with as little fiddling as possible.

  • 5

    Bake meringues for at least 1¼ hours but possibly up to 1 hour 50 minutes, swapping over the trays occasionally. When cooked, the underside will have no sticky patches and the paper will peel away easily (to test, flip one meringue onto your outstretched hand. If ready, the paper will pull away easily).

  • 6

    Cool meringues on racks. Sandwich with whipped cream and the reserved chopped nectarines. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Just before serving, dust the top with icing sugar. Serve the rest of the nectarines in syrup alongside.

notes

For double cream, look for the Lewis Road brand because it will stay firm and not weep as the meringue stands. Otherwise use regular cream.