Elaine's Chocolate Galette

Ingredients

• 1.5 egg whites, stiffly beaten
• 2.310 gram castor sugar
• 3.30 gram cocoa powder, sifted with remaining sugar
• 4.600 ml whipping cream, whipped with icing sugar, coffee and drinking chocolate
• 5.2 tablespoon icing sugar, for cream filling
• 6.1 teaspoon instant coffee, for cream filling
• 7.4 teaspoon drinking chocolate powder, for cream filling
• 8.1 can stoned cherries, red or black; macerated in Kirsch

Method

1. 1.PREHEAT OVEN TO 275°F / 140°C.
2. 2.Whisk egg whites until stiff.
3. 3.Add 2 tablespoons of the measured castor sugar and continue beating for about 45 seconds.
4. 4.Sift the remaining sugar with the cocoa and QUICKLY FOLD into the beaten whites.
5. 5.Line 2 biscuit tins with foil. Mark a 9"/23 cm circle on each piece of foil. You should grease the circles lightly.
6. 6.Divide the meringue mixture into two and spoon each half onto each circle. Spread to edge and smooth.
7. 7.Bake for 1 - 1¾ hours until dry and crisp.
8. 8.Whip together the cream, icing sugar, coffee and the drinking chocolate.
9. 9.Macerate the cherries in some Kirsch.
10. 10.When the meringue rounds are quite cool, sandwich together with the whipped cream mixture.
11. 11.Drain the cherries well and heap in centre of top layer.
12. 12.Lightly dust with cocoa.
13. 13.Fill meringue a few hours before serving. Keep in fridge.

Notes

• A handwritten annotation appears next to '310 g castor sugar' that reads '½ cup' — likely a volume conversion note, though 310g castor sugar equals approximately 1½ cups, not ½ cup. The gram weight (310g) is likely correct.