CHOCOLATE MERINGUE

1. Heat the oven to 140°C, fan forced.
2. Trace three circles, 160mm in diameter, onto a sheet of baking paper. Turn the paper over and use it to line baking trays. Set aside until required.
3. Sieve the cocoa powder together with the icing sugar.
4. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip to medium peaks.
5. Gradually add the caster sugar while continuing to whisk. Then, whisk for a further 1 minute to ensure the sugar dissolves.
6. Remove from the mixer, add the combined cocoa powder and icing sugar to the meringue and gently fold through.
7. Transfer just over half of the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 10mm plain piping nozzle.
8. Pipe the meringue onto the lined baking trays, using the circles as a guide spiraling from the centre outwards. Alternatively, you can spread the meringue out with a spoon or spatula.
9. Transfer the remaining meringue into a piping bag fitted with an 8mm plain piping nozzle. Pipe individual lines along the length of a separate lined baking tray, spacing them approximately 10mm apart.
10. Bake both the meringue discs and sticks in the preheated oven for approximately 1 hour, or until crunchy. The meringue discs may need a further 10 minutes.
11. Allow to cool completely at room temperature.

NOTE: You can make the chocolate meringue discs and sticks up to 1 week in advance and store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

1. Place the cream (A) in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
2. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk by hand until completely melted and incorporated.
3. Add the softened butter and whisk to combine.
4. Allow to cool slightly at room temperature.
5. Place the cream (B) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip to a semi-whipped consistency, then place in the refrigerator until required.
6. Once the chocolate base cools to body temperature, fold through the chilled semi-whipped cream.
7. Assemble immediately.

ASSEMBLY

1. Place a meringue disc onto a serving plate, securing it with a small amount of the prepared chocolate mousse.
2. Transfer the remaining chocolate mousse into a piping bag fitted with a 10mm plain piping nozzle.
3. Pipe a layer of mousse onto the meringue in a spiral formation starting in the centre and working outwards.
4. Place a second meringue disc directly on top and cover with another layer of chocolate mousse followed by the final meringue disc.
5. Pipe chocolate mousse around the outside of the cake and spread it into a thin layer, with a slightly thicker layer on top.
6. Break the meringue sticks into short lengths and arrange them randomly to the side of the cake.
7. Lastly, fill the top of the cake with various lengths of meringue sticks, standing upright.

NOTE: If you do not wish to pipe the mousse, you can use a palette knife to spread it.

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