Pistachio parfait, roasted cherries and amaretto granita with chocolate and almond tuiles

Ingredients

For the bread
225g/8oz free-range egg whites
300g/10½oz caster sugar
350g/12oz plain flour, sifted
300g/10½oz whole blanched almonds
For the pâte à bombe
3 free-range egg yolks
125g/4½oz caster sugar
75g/2½oz glucose syrup
For the Italian meringue
115g/4oz free-range egg whites
75g/2½oz caster sugar
For the pistachio parfait
250g/9oz pure pistachio paste
100ml/3½fl oz double cream
150ml/¼ pint UHT whipping cream
75g/2½oz roasted pistachios, crushed
For the chocolate tuiles
2 free-range egg whites
100g/3½oz caster sugar
55g/2oz plain flour
1 tsp cocoa powder
55g/2oz unsalted butter, melted and cooled
breadcrumbs, made from trimmings from the almond bread
For the biscotti
2 free-range egg whites
100g/3½oz caster sugar
55g/2oz plain flour
150g/5½oz blanched almonds
For the amaretto granita
100g/3½oz caster sugar
150ml/5½fl oz water
200ml/7fl oz amaretto liqueur
For the cherries
large bunch fresh basil
250ml/9fl oz light stock syrup
500g/1lb 2oz fresh cherries, pitted

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
2. For the bread, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl. Gradually add the caster sugar, a little at a time, and whisk continuously until stiff and shiny.
3. Fold in the flour and almonds, spoon into mini non-stick loaf tins and bake for 40 minutes or until golden-brown and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of each cake.
4. Remove the cakes from the tins and when completely cool slice very thinly on a meat slicer, lay out the slices on a baking sheet and leave to dry out until crisp. Use the cake crumbs and trimmings to make breadcrumbs and reserve to use in the tuiles.
5. For the pâte à bombe, place the egg yolks into a food processor and whisk for 2-3 minutes. Place the sugar and glucose into a small pan, place over a medium heat and boil to 118C/244F. As soon as it reaches this temperature, pour the glucose mix in a thin stream onto the whisked eggs, whisking continuously until thickened.
6. For the Italian meringue, place the egg whites into a clean bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl. Gradually add the caster sugar and whisk until stiff and shiny.
7. For the pistachio parfait, mix the pistachio paste with the double cream to make a pistachio cream. Mix the pistachio cream with the pâte à bombe and whisk in the whipping cream. Finally stir in the Italian meringue and crushed pistachios. Pour into a loaf tin lined with cling film and freeze for three hours or overnight if possible.
8. For the chocolate tuilles, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Beat together the egg whites and sugar in a bowl with a fork, add the flour and cocoa powder and mix well. Add the butter and the reserved cake trimming crumbs and mix again. Using a palate knife, spread a very thin layer of the tuille mix onto a non stick baking mat in small circles and bake for 4-6 minutes or until slightly golden-brown. Remove from the oven and immediately curl using a palette knife. Set aside and leave to cool.
9. Using a palette knife, spread the rest of the mixture onto a baking sheet (slightly thicker than the first batch) and bake for 4-6 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack (do not curl this batch).
10. For the biscotti, preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Place the egg whites into a large bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl. Add sugar a little at a time, whisking well between each addition and whisk until glossy. Fold in the flour and then the almonds. Pipe the mixture into small non-stick loaf tins and bake for 20 minutes or until golden-brown on top. Remove the biscotti from the cake tins and cool on wire racks.
11. Cut 12 slices as thinly as possible, toast lightly and break into shards. Process any remaining biscotti into fine breadcrumbs in a food processor.
12. For the amaretto granita, melt the sugar in the water over a moderate heat. Bring to a simmer for five minutes, add the amaretto and pour into a shallow freezer-proof container. Freeze for one hour, then mix the granita with a fork, place back in the freezer and refreeze for one hour. Continue this process until the mixture is completely frozen. Once frozen, scrape with a fork to form fluffy ice.
13. For the cherries, place the basil in the stock syrup and bring to a simmer, add the cherries, remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
14. To serve, place one of the thicker tuile biscuits onto each serving plate, top with a slice of pistachio parfait, pour the cherries over the top, top with a spoonful of amaretto granita and garnish with the curled chocolate tuiles and biscotti shards.