hazelnut and vanilla soft meringue - a very fast route to heaven

courtesy of donna hay you will need: 1 cup thick cream 1/3 cup hazelnut liqueur 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, sifted 150ml eggwhites 3/4 cup caster or superfine sugar 1 teaspoon white vinegar 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (if you can't find this, use a teaspoon of vanilla extract) preheat your oven to 320 degs F 1. place the cream, liqueur and powdered sugar in a bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form. set to one side. 2. in the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk eggwhites until they form stiff peaks. gradually add the caster sugar and whisk until it is thick and glossy. 3. fold in the vinegar, cornstarch and vanilla. 4. spoon this mixture onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 mins. 5. allow to cool and then turn out onto a large piece of parchment paper. 6. take your hazelnut cream mixture and spread down the centre of the meringue. fold over the sides to enclose and dust with powdered sugar. the meringue is soft, crunchy and chewy all at the same time. heaven.