White Chocolate-Espresso Parfait Sandwiches

I am seduced by photos, especially of sweet concoctions and this one was no different! I saw the picture first in Aust Gourmet (Jan 07 issue), then I saw the description - "Coffee and chocolate are an unbeatable combination, but when its frozen it goes to a whole new level." Anyone who knows me would know that that description just about sums up what I like!

Now this is not a recipe for when you are feeling spontaneous and feel like knocking up something for dinner that night. Oh noooooo.....this recipes requires you to start 2 days ahead. The white chocolate-espresso filling is made first and then refrigerated before being whipped the following day. The next day requires making the hazelnut meringue and also the espresso caramel. Then the dessert is constructed before freezing overnight.

A couple of things didn't go to plan, as usual, when making this recipe. The major hitch was the meringue - I didn't cook it for long enough. While it looked crisp on the top, when I removed it from the baking tray it was still soft underneath and collapsed. So rather the meringue forming 2 neat sandwiches enclosing the filling, mine was a patchwork affair of broken meringue!

The other hitch was the caramel. The recipe said to heat the mixture until it became a dark caramel. I'm sorry but I could've cooked it the entire day and it still wasn't going to change colour for me. The best I could do was a pale golden colour; certainly not the dark caramel that was expected. However, it still tasted ok and nobody noticed!

This is a fiddly recipe and I was sceptical of how it would turn out and taste, but in the end everyone enjoyed it. I would probably make it again for a special occasion.

White Chocolate-Espresso Parfait Sandwiches (from Australian Gourmet, Jan 07 issue)
*You'll need to begin this recipe 2 days ahead

Serves 8

600ml pouring cream
25ml espresso coffee
3 pieces lemon peel
330g white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Hazelnut meringue
4 eggwhites
110g (1/2cup) castor sugar
110g (2/3cup) icing sugar, sieved
50g ground hazelnuts
20g Dutch-process cocoa, sieved

Espresso Caramel
150g castor sugar
75g liquid glucose
1Tbs espresso coffee
40g butter, coarsely chopped

1. Combine cream, coffee and peel in a saucepan, bring just to the boil over medium-high heat, strain over chocolate in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Cool, whisking occasionally so chocolate doesn't separate from cream, to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. The next day, whisk chocolate mixture until soft peaks form.
2. For meringues, preheat oven to 100*c. Using an electric mixer, whisk eggwhites and a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. With motor running, gradually add castor sugar; whisk until glossy. Using a metal spoon, fold in icing sugar, hazelnut and cocoa. Trace 2 rectangles using a 20cm x 30cm cake pan as a template onto baking paper-lined oven trays. Spread meringue evenly onto rectangles, bake for 40mins or until crisp. Cool on trays.
3. For caramel, combine sugar, glucose and 1/4cup water in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and cook for 5-7mins or until dark caramel. Remove from heat, add 1/4cup water and espresso, swirl to combine. Add butter, swirl to incorporate, then cool.
4. Place a meringue rectangle, trimming edges to fit, into a 20cm x 30cm baking paper-lined cake pan. Drizzle with half the espresso caramel, top with chocolate mixture and drizzle with remaining espresso caramel. Top with remaining meringue and freeze overnight. Remove, cut into squares using a wet sharp knife and serve immediately.