Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Line a baking tray with silicone paper.
Whisk the egg whites in an electric mixer on full speed till stiff peaks form.
Very gradually add the sugar, one teaspoon at a time, whisking well between each addition of sugar. Keep on whisking till all the sugar has been incorporated and the mixture is glossy and very stiff. Spread the meringue mixture onto the prepared baking tray using a spatula. Spread evenly and sprinkle the hazelnuts on top.
Place the tray in the oven and bake for 12 minutes until golden in colour. Then turn down the heat to 160°C and bake until firm to the touch (this should be about 15 minutes). Remove the meringue from the oven and turn the hazelnut side down onto a clean damp dishcloth. Remove the paper from the base of the meringue very carefully and allow to cool for 10 minutes. (Don’t worry if small cracks appear - this is normal). Meanwhile whisk the cream to stiff peak and gently fold in the Vanilla Paste.
Use a piping bag with a medium sized nozzle and fill with the nutella. Spread the cream evenly over the meringue. Then pipe the nutella in a zigzag fashion across the width of the meringue. Sprinkle the blackberries over the nutella. Roll up the meringue from the long end, using the dishcloth to assist in the rolling. Try to roll quite tightly like a roulade or swiss roll.
Serves 8.
TIP 1: When whisking your egg whites make sure your mixing bowl is very clean with no fat as this will prevent the egg whites from whisking to stiff peak. To make sure your mixing bowl is clean, wipe with lemon juice.
TIP 2: Surprisingly, this dessert freezes brilliantly. Allow to thaw a bit before serving.
TIP 3: Feel free to vary the nuts and fruit according to the seasons.
Wine suggestions
The key to matching this dish with wine is to ensure that the wine is sweeter than the food. So, try out a chilled tawny port, or even an old liqueur muscat from Australia.
