PECAN MERINGUE TURTLES

PECAN MERINGUE TURTLES image

Categories Dessert

Yield 35

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

CARAMEL
1 x 397 g tin full cream condensed milk,
cooked the day before
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
350 g best-quality dark cooking chocolate
250 ml (1 cup) cream
10 ml (2 t) vanilla essence
MERINGUES
5 extra-large egg whites
a pinch of cream of tartar
180 ml (3/4 cup) castor sugar
180 ml (3/4 cup) golden brown sugar
10 ml (2 t) vanilla essence
500 ml (2 cups) roughly chopped pecan nuts
TO SERVE
whipped cream
pecan nuts

Steps:

To prepare the caramel, fill a mecium heavy-bottomed saucepan two-thirds full with water and bring to the boil. Place the tin of condensed milk in the pot and keep at rolling boil for 21/2 hours, The tin must be covered with water while it is cooking, When it is ready, remove from the pot and cool completely, Remove the caramel from the tin and place in a clean bowl. Cover al'1d refrigerate, Prepare the ganache about 2 hours In advance, Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream to boiling point, add ttle vanilla and pour the hot mixture over the chocolate, Whisk until smooth Cool and gently beat, then it will be easier to use, When using the ganache it must have the consistency of butter icing that has just been taken from the refrigerator, The chocolate must not have hardened, To make the meringues, preheat the oven to 100 ac, Prepare baking sheets: measure baking parchment to the size of the baking sheets to be used, Use a cup with a surface diameter of 5 cm, invert it and draw circles - as many as the sheet can reasonably accommodate, Turn the paper over and place on the baking sheet In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites to firm peaks then add the cream of tartar, Whisk furtherand gradually first the castor sugar and then the brown sugar. Beat untill the meringue is stiff and glossy, With a large metal spoon fold in the vanilla and pecan nuts Fill in the paper circles baking tray with the meringue to form meringue ':;'0:'0 Bake at 100 ac for 60 minutes, turn the heat down to 80 degrees celcuis and bake for a further 30 minutes or until crisp. They will have a a light golden colour, To assemble, whip the cream until stiff, Into each meringue place place half a teaspoon of caramel Follow this with the same amount of chocolate ganache, Cover with a dollop of cream and garnish with pecan nuts. The turtles can be assembled 2 - 3 hours in advance. Add cream and nuts prior to serving.