Meringue Cake with Mascarpone Cream

MERINGUE INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  Lightly toast hazelnuts in a dry pan and remove their brown skins (e.g., by rubbing them in a tea towel). Once slightly cooled, grind them finely.
• 2
  Whisk egg whites with salt into stiff peaks, gradually adding granulated sugar. Carefully fold in potato starch and ground hazelnuts into the meringue with a wooden spoon.
• 3
  Place baking paper on two large baking sheets, drawing two circles of approximately 20 cm diameter on each, for a total of four. Divide the egg white meringue into four parts. Spread each part onto one circle. The circles don't have to be perfectly round; this will make the result more interesting. If only one circle fits on a baking sheet, you must whisk the egg whites using only half the amount and bake only two layers at a time. The egg white meringue cannot sit for too long once whisked, so you will need to whisk a fresh batch for the next set.
• 4
  Bake in an oven preheated to 140°C without convection for about 50 minutes.
• 5
  Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie and spread it over all four baked layers. Place in the refrigerator to cool. Prepare the cream while it cools.