Ferrero Rocher Meringue with Nutella Whipped Cream
Oh, goodness. How much am I desperately in love with this Ferrero Rocher meringue? It worked out like an absolute dream. it really was perfection, both to look at and taste.
Meringues can be fiddly buggers, can’t they? And I know from personal experience. In the past, through impatience, I’ve completely messed up meringue, resulting in a runny mess. Making meringue is not difficult, but it is something that cannot be rushed. If you play the slow game, you will reap the gains. Promise.
I will share with you my tips for the perfect meringue:
- Make sure you whisk the eggs until they for stiff peaks before adding sugar.
- When adding the sugar, make sure it is very, very slowly. I can’t emphasise this point enough, seriously. Add a tablespoon at a time, and allow for around 30 seconds (minimum) in between so that the sugar has time to dissolve.
- The meringue is ready when it is glossy. If you want, taste a little to make sure it is no longer grainy (which means that some of the sugar hasn’t dissolved).
- Remember to add your stabilizing agents. I use white wine vinegar, but you could use lemon juice or cream of tartar.
- One additional ingredient (that is not necessary) is cornflour, which is another stabiliser, and prevents the eggs from weeping.
- When you have baked your meringue, leave it in the oven for several hours (until completely cool) or even better, over night.
So yes, meringue is a little bit finicky to make, but if you put in the time and effort, you will be greatly rewarded.
This Ferrero Rocher meringue was crunchy on the outside, and soft in the middle. Don’t let those cracks fool you: it was sturdy and not remotely crumbly (I think I could have even manhandled it a little without breaking it). And while we are talking about cracks, let me assure you that they are part of the charm. I have never seen a homemade large meringue without them, and so don’t get too caught up in worrying about it. Oh, and as the name suggests, there is actually Ferrero Rocher in the meringue itself. Sublime.
The meringue has a Nutella whipped cream frosting and a sprinkling of roasted hazelnuts. And that’s it. I can’t express in words how decadent the crunchy meringue and cream were. They complimented each other beautifully. The strange thing is that, although meringue is heavy on the sugar, the dessert doesn’t taste over-sweet. I had several slices rapidly following each other and didn’t feel sick at all (oh, what lofty goals I have).
If you like meringue, but you’re not sure about this one, check out my raspberry version.
Ferrero Rocher Meringue with Nutella Whipped Cream
Ingredients
Meringue:
- 5 small/medium egg whites
- 225g (1 cup) sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornflour
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 4 Ferrero Rocher (extra for decoration)
Filling:
- 250ml (1 cup) whipping cream
- 160g (½ cup) Nutella
- Roasted chopped hazelnuts (optional)
Instructions
Meringue:
- Place the four Ferrero Rocher chocolates in the freezer until nice and hard.
- Heat the oven to 140ºC (285ºF). Line a large flat baking tray with greaseproof paper and draw two identical circles of around 18cm each.
- In a large bowl (or using a food processor) whisk the eggs until stiff peaks form.
- While the meringues are mixing, blitz up the four frozen Ferrero Rocher chocolates in a blender until they are crumbs. Set to one side.
- Slowly add the sugar to the eggs, one tablespoon at a time. Allow time for each tablespoon to become fully incorporated (dissolved) before adding the next one. When all of the sugar has been added, your eggs should be beautifully glossy.
- Add the cornflour and white wine vinegar and continue to whisk just for a short while (until everything is incorporated).
- Finally, very gently fold in the Ferrero Rocher, just until it is mixed in (be careful not to knock all of the air out of the eggs).
- Divide the mixture equally between the two circles on your prepared tray smoothing out to the edges of the circles, making them as equals and level as possible (so that they will bake evenly).
- Bake for 50 minutes then turn the oven off. Leave the meringues inside until they are completely cold (if you can, overnight is best).
Filling:
- Whisk the whipped cream until stiff peaks form.
- Carefully fold in the Nutella until well mixed (it doesn't need to be perfect - a few streaks look very pretty).
- Slather three quarters of the cream mixture over one of the meringues (flat side). Place the other meringue on top. Spread the remaining cream on top.
- For decoration, I sprinkled some roasted hazelnuts and a whole Ferrero Rocher
Notes