Main Ingredient - Eggs

Ingredients
315g hazelnuts, chopped
315g castor sugar
5 egg whites (room temperature)
1 tin apricot halves
315ml cream (stiffly beaten)
ground cinnamon
1 vanilla pod
cinnamon sticks for decoration

Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Line 2x20cm cake tins with removable bottoms with wax paper. Drain syrup from the tin and lightly coat apricot halves in castor sugar. Toast hazelnuts in oven (watch carefully) then crush with a rolling pin(not too finely and then try to remove all peels). Whisk egg whites until soft peaks form and start adding castor sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating well until stiff peaks form. Fold in hazelnuts and pour into tins. Bake for 25 to 35 min until meringue is soft and golden but not dried out. Remove from oven and let cool before trying to take out of tin. Whisk cream adding a bit of fine cinnamon and finely chopped vanilla pod. Spoon whisked cream onto the bottom layer and then place apricot halves on top of cream. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Place top layer on and dust with icing sugar. Garnish with left over apricot halves and some crushed hazelnuts and cinnamon sticks.

Submitted by - Bernadette Huisamen