Almond Praline Meringues

Preheat the oven to 100°C – not fan bake.

Put the egg whites and salt into a very clean bowl and beat until soft peaks form.

Add the caster sugar and beat until very thick and glossy.

Sift the icing sugar and cornflour together. Use a large metal spoon to fold it into the egg whites with the orange zest and the vanilla extract.

Spoon 4 x 8 cm ovals of meringue onto a paper or Teflon lined baking tray. Use the back of a spoon to form a hollow in each meringue for the cream to sit in. Scatter over the flaked almonds. Bake for 1 hour then turn off the heat and leave in the oven to cool.

Praline: Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, brushing down any stray sugar crystals with a pastry brush dipped in water. Increase the heat and boil until a rich golden colour. Stir in the nuts then immediately tip onto a Teflon sheet or a lightly greased baking tray and quickly spread into an even layer. The caramel will set very fast. Cool then break into pieces.

To serve: Place the meringues on serving plates. Fold the lemon curd through the cream and put a large spoonful in the hollow. Scatter with the praline then place a whole shard on top of each one. Makes 4 meringues

Unfilled meringues will keep for 2 days in an airtight container. Praline will keep for several days in an airtight jar.