Charlotte Russe

Ingredients

4 egg whites

80 g caster sugar

40 g ground almonds

For filling 

1 pt milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

6 egg yolks

30 g caster sugar

10 g gelatine

3/4 double cream

glace cherries to decorate

Method

Preheat oven at gas 2. Whisk egg whites until thick, keep whisking and add the sugar one spoon at a time. Gently fold in the ground almonds using a large metal spoon. spoon mixture into an icing bag with large plain nozzle. Pipe the mixture into 5-7 cm fingers on a baking tray. Bake for 1 to 1 and 20 hours until the fingers are firm and will lift off the paper easily. Leave to cool. Heat the milk and vanilla essence until it reaches boiling point. beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, Add the milk to eggs beating all the time. Soften the gelatine with 3 tbsp of warm water and stir into mixture. Cook over a very low heat, stirring all the time until it coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool then chill until it just begins to thicken. Whip 1/2 pt of cream until thick, fold in to the chilled custard. Line the base and sides of cake tin with almond meringue fingers, flat side up and spoon the custard into the center to come level with the top. Chill in a fridge for 4 hours or until firmly set. Whip cream make stars with piping bag and decorate with cherries.