1/4 ts Margarine
Flour for dusting pan
3 Egg whites at room
-temperature
1/2 ts Cream of tartar
1/4 ts Vanilla extract
3/4 c Confectioners’ sugar
2 tb Unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c Finely-chopped hazelnuts
1/4 c Dried cranberries; (or dried
-apricots
; or chopped dates)
Preheat the oven to 120C/250F.
Position a cooking rack in the lower third of the oven. Lightly
grease a 20cm square baking tray with the margarine and dust with
flour.
Make sure all your bowls and beating utensils are completely clean
and dry. Beat the egg whites at medium speed until frothy. Add the
cream of tartar, turn the speed to high and beat until soft peaks
form. Add the vanilla and then gradually beat in the sugar. Continue
beating until the meringue is stiff and shiny.
Remove half the meringue and set aside. Quickly beat the cocoa into
the remaining meringue. Spread the chocolate meringue evenly on the
bottom of the prepared baking pan and sprinkle with the cranberries
and a third of the hazelnuts.
Pipe wide stripes of white meringue over the chocolate. If you don’t
have a pastry bag, spoon the white meringue on top and smooth
carefully into stripes. Dip a rubber spatula in water and gently
smooth completely all over the top, striving not to mix the two
layers, and sprinkle with the remaining nuts. Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and, using a thin wet knife, cut the
mixture into 24 squares. Return to the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
Without opening the oven door, turn off the heat and let the cookies
sit for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool completely and store in an
airtight container for up to a week.
Yields
1 servings