Stacks OF FLAVOUR

Stacking food allows you to get creative and combine foods into a single dish that offers amazing flavours with each bite. We have come up with some delicious, nutritious stacked meals that you and the family will simply adore. See how these yummy dishes stack up: cheesy potato and thyme stacks; zucchini fritter stacks; Caprese stack with homemade pesto; antipasto stack; roast veggie and haloumi pesto stacks; meringue stacks; blackberry and apple almond pancake stack; and a chocolate sponge stack.

Meringue Stacks GF V

Recipe / Naomi Sherman

Incredibly lush and decadent stacks of crisp meringue layered with salted caramel, whipped cream and lashings of melted chocolate. Make each element yourself or use my time-saving tip below.

Serves: 6

Meringue

4 egg whites

Pinch salt

220g caster sugar

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Caramel

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp water

2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup pure cream

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup cream, whipped

250g dark chocolate, melted

1. Heat your oven to 120°C and line a large tray.

2. Whisk the egg whites and salt until thickened and then add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating well between additions.

3. Add the cream of tartar halfway through and continue whisking and adding sugar gradually until the sugar has completely dissolved.

4. Pipe the meringue into 18 small discs onto your prepared tray.

5. Bake for 45 mins then turn the oven off and open the door slightly, leaving the meringues to cool completely.

6. To make the caramel, whisk sugar and water over high heat until they come to the boil and the sugar has dissolved.

7. Reduce the heat, add the butter and whisk until combined. Simmer until the mixture turns a deep golden colour, approx. 5 min.

8. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in the cream (it will bubble up furiously after you add it, so be careful). Whisk until well combined.

9. Whisk in the salt and vanilla.

10. Store the caramel in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

11. To make meringue stacks, layer the meringue discs with caramel and whipped cream.

12. Repeat until you have 3 layers and then drizzle with melted chocolate before serving.