INGREDIENTS

Meringue

4 Egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch of salt

1 cup caster sugar

For the sauce:

120ml Water

250ml thickened cream

1 tsp Vanilla extract

3/4 tsp sea salt

300g Dark Chocolate

Ice Cream or cream to Serve

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 120˚C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the egg whites using an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the pinch of salt, then gradually add the sugar, whisking well in between. Once all the sugar has been added and has been dissolved, whisk on high for a further 3 minutes until stiff peaks are formed.

Separate the meringue mixture into 4 on the baking paper.

Reduce the oven temperature to 90˚C. Bake the meringues for 1 and a half hours. Once done, turn the oven off and leave in the oven to cool completely with the door open.

While the meringues are cooking, make the salted caramel sauce.

Combine the sugar and the water in a saucepan over a medium high heat. Swirl the pan to allow the liquid to combine without stirring. Watch the mixture closely for about 10 minutes. Once the mixture turns are dark amber colour, quickly take off the heat and whisk in the cream, vanilla extract and sea salt. Leave to cool.

Remove the meringues from the oven.

Melt the dark chocolate the microwave, 30 seconds at a time, watching closely after each 30 seconds to make sure it doesn't get too hot and burn. Stop once it is mostly melted, stir until it is melted.

Fill meringues with ice cream then drizzle the dark chocolate over the meringues. Do the same with the salted caramel sauce.

Variations

Top with crushed nuts, crushed biscuits or salted caramel popcorn.

You can make them ahead just keep the meringues stored in an airtight container for up to 10 days .

CHEATS SALTED CARAMEL AND CHOCOLATE MERINGUES

If you want the easy way to make these delicious morsels buy meringue nests from the supermarket, a bottle of salted caramel sauce and melt a block of dark chocolate or grate. Fill the nest with ice cream, drizzle with chocolate and then top with Salted caramel sauce and a few crushed nuts or a crushed biscuits or salted caramel Popcorn.