Nigella’s Chocolate Stack

I’ve never really considered myself a baker. Some people cook. Some people bake. I don’t really bake.

I truly, simply love the limitless flavor combinations that cooking permits. Add a little of this or a little of that and viola, something gorgeous takes shape instantly. Baking simply isn’t that forgiving. And neither is a creme patissiere, the gooey chocolate, cream and egg yolk mixture that I made to slather in between the cocoa-flavored meringue layers. For a non-baker like me, it was hard.

I’ve the hard work was worth it. This goddess-like concoction was for dear friend. She’s made a Moroccan dinner and I drooled through Nigella Lawson’s “How to be a Domestic Goddess” to find a Moroccan-worthy accompaniment. This pistachio-studded stack did the trick.

If you opt to attempt the recipe, strive to have everything ready ahead of time; measure out all the ingredients and melt the chocolate. I made the meringues the night before and let them rest in the oven overnight, a tip Nigella recommends in her book. It really made the work of whipping up the chocolate creme patissiere far less stressful.

My only complaint is that the meringue color is a lot lighter than the creme, unlike the photo in her book. I was excited for monochromatic, rich brown layers of shine and matte. That said, my version looks very homemade and my host totally appreciated that hand-made look.

The taste was delicious. The meringue is sweet and sugary; the creme is dark, rich, mousse-like and, frankly, not very sweet at all. I’ll keep you posted on my first bite! Check out her recipe here.