Ritz meringue cake

A meringue whose ingredients might surprise you! To a meringue we add chopped pecan nuts and… crushed salty crackers (Ritz). This meringue is not overly sweet, thanks to the saltiness of the crackers. The crackers soften during baking, so to add a bit of crunch I sprinkle extra crushed crackers on top just before serving. And of course, it’s finished with chocolate sauce (caramel sauce works beautifully too) – absolutely delicious!

The recipe comes from Norway, and my thanks go to Angelika for sharing it with me.

Ingredients for the meringue:

• 3 large egg whites
• a large pinch of salt
• 220–250 g caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanillin sugar or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 100 g pecans or walnuts, chopped
• 150 g crackers (Ritz), broken into smaller pieces

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a mixer and begin whisking. Once they become slightly foamy, add the pinch of salt and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, one spoonful at a time, beating continuously until the meringue becomes thick and glossy. Add the vanillin sugar or vanilla extract and mix briefly. Fold in the chopped nuts and broken crackers.

Line the base of a 23 cm springform tin with baking parchment. Spoon the meringue mixture into the tin and smooth the surface.

Bake at 175°C for about 30–35 minutes. The meringue should be baked through and nicely browned on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature. Once cooled, remove from the tin.

Additionally:

• 250 ml double cream, well chilled
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• a few crushed crackers, for sprinkling

Place the chilled double cream and icing sugar in a mixer bowl and whip until soft peaks form.

Ingredients for the chocolate sauce:

• 40 ml double cream
• 40 g dark chocolate

Place the cream in a small saucepan and heat until almost boiling. Remove from the heat, add the chopped chocolate and leave for 2 minutes. Stir until a smooth. Allow to cool slightly.

To assemble

Spread the whipped cream over the cooled meringue. Sprinkle with crushed crackers and drizzle with the chocolate sauce.

Store the meringue with crackers and nuts in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!