MERINGUE LAYERS: Line 3 -9"diam. cake tins with parchment paper.Draw 8" circles on the paper. Combine icing sugar with ground almonds. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Very gradually beat in gran. sugar until stiff peaks form.. Quickly fold in icing sugar mixture. Spoon or pipe mixture over circles. Bake in a 275F oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until meringues are firm but not brown,rearranging sheets in oven halfway through. Turn off oven, open door and let meringues cool and dry overnight on oven. Remove from paper.

MOUSSE:Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Remove from heat. Beat in butter; beat in egg yolks, one at a time. Mixture should be cool by now. In a sepapate bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold in chocolate mixture.

ASSEMBLY: Place meringue layerson waxwd paper-lined platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups of mousse over meringue,top with another meringue layer, another 1 1/2 cups mousse, then third layer;ice cake with remaining mousse. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Cake can be frozen in an airtight container.

CREAM TOPPING: Just before serving, whip cream until light; add liqueur; whip until stiff. Pipe decoratively over cake.

*INGREDIENTS*

*DIRECTIONS*

GARNISH: Malt chocolate. If strawberries are very fresh and hulls are green and full, leave hulls on; if not, remove hulls. Wash berries; pat dry. Dip pointed ends into chocolate if hulls are on or flat ends into chocolate if hulls have been removed. Place on wax paper-lined baking sheet to set. Cover top of cake with berries; place any extra berries around base. Makes 12 servings.