Laskonky: Coconut meringues with caramel cream

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Whip the egg whites with the sugar in a bowl over steaming water until thick and stiff. Let cool slightly, then gently fold in the coconut and ground nuts.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use a laskonky stencil to shape the meringues on it.
3. Bake the meringues in an oven preheated to 120 °C (250 °F) for 15 minutes, until they rise. Reduce the temperature to 80 °C (175 °F) and dry them for about 18 minutes with the oven door slightly open; you can use a clothespin to hold it ajar.
4. For the filling, beat the butter with the dulce de leche until light and fluffy. Stir in the nuts and cocoa powder, then use the filling to sandwich the cooled meringues together.
5. Drizzle chocolate over the tops and leave in a cool place to set.

Tip: If you don't have a stencil, trace around a glass with a pencil on the underside of parchment paper, then spoon or pipe the mixture into the circles. Let the meringues cool completely before peeling them off the paper.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Laskonky s kokosom, orieškami a karamelovým krémom