A rather decadent finish for an afternoon.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup whole almonds
• 125 grams dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 50 grams butter
• 1 egg white
• ½ cup caster sugar
• ½ cup ground almonds
• ¼ cup mixed glace peel
• ¾ cup flaked almonds, toasted, optional
• white chocolate coating
• 175 grams white chocolate, chopped
• 25 grams butter

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Place the whole almonds in one layer on an oven tray and bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and cool. Chop evenly into small pieces.
3. Heat the chocolate and butter in the microwave for 60 seconds and stir. If large pieces of chocolate remain, heat a further 30 seconds. Stir until smooth.
4. In a scrupulously clean bowl, beat the egg white with an electric beater until it forms a stiff peak. Beat in the sugar to make a thick meringue-like mixture. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture, chopped and ground almonds, and mixed peel.
5. Turn the mixture onto a piece of baking paper and, using the paper to assist, shape into a thick 30-36cm roll. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Remove and, using your hands, shape into a triangle. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
6. Unwrap the chocolate log, but leave on the paper. Spread all three sides with the white chocolate coating. It will set quickly as the chocolate log is cold.
7. Press the flaked almonds onto the outside, if using. Refrigerate until firm. Serve cut into thin slices.
8. white chocolate coating
9. Heat the white chocolate and butter together for 1 minute in the microwave or until the chocolate is almost melted. Stir to make a smooth mixture.

Cooks Tips

To toast flaked almonds, follow the instructions for whole almonds, but reduce the cooking time to 6-8 minutes. Alternatively, these can be toasted in a frying pan over a direct heat, stirring or shaking regularly. Once toasted, remove from the pan and place on a plate to arrest any further cooking.

- When beating egg white, a stiff peak is reached when the beaters are lifted from the beaten egg white mix and the peak that forms stays upright and doesn't flop over.

- The whole almonds can be blanched or unblanched.

Variations:

- Use roasted hazelnuts in place of almonds.

- Coat the outside with dark chocolate in place of white.

- Use walnuts, roasted and chopped, in place of whole almonds and ground walnuts in place of ground almonds.