Gateau russe (almond biscuit layered with praline buttercream)

Process the almond, powdered sugar and flour together.

Add some milk to the almond-sugar mixture.

Beat the egg whites with a dash of cream of tartar, adding the sugar gradually, to firm peaks.

Fold about a third of the meringue into the almond mixture, then gently fold in the rest.

Heat the oven first. Spread the mixture onto a lightly oiled silicone mat on a flipped baking tray, about half an inch (1 cm) thick.

Bake at 400F (200C) for about 12 minutes and cool.

For the praline, cook sugar and water to 244F (118C), or simply boil for five minutes.

Add the toasted almonds and hazelnuts; the syrup crystallizes; keep cooking on high to full caramelization. Optionally move the nuts to a clean hot saucepan to leave excess crystallized sugar behind.

Cool on a silicone mat, saving some caramelized almonds for garnish, then process the cooled nuts to a paste.

For the Italian meringue, beat egg whites on high and pour in syrup cooked to 248F (120C) in a thin stream; beat until cool.

For the buttercream, pour hot syrup into the saved yolks and beat until cool.

At room temperature add softened butter and beat on high until fluffy; add praline to taste, then the frozen Italian meringue.

Assemble with two or three almond biscuit layers, the praline filling layers matching the biscuit thickness; the finished cake about an inch (2.5 cm) tall.

Top with a very thin layer of praline filling, freeze about an hour, and trim; serve whole or cut into bars.