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On this occasion, my usual Christmas dessert is being swapped for a equally impressive dessert featuring meringue. Baked layers of nutty meringue are assembled with creamy pistachio filling and juicy cherry mixture. While it sits, the meringue layers give slightly under the cream, resulting in a soft and tender consistency. Consider it a wonderful alternative for Christmas dining that omits traditional rich ingredients.

Pistachio and Cherry Meringue Cake

Owing to the trend of a recent social media sensation, pistachio creme is easy to find in most supermarkets. This product is already sweetened and offers a subtle verdant shade. One might use pistachio butter instead, however the tone can be less vibrant and it may require to adjust the sweetness.

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 2 hr 20 min
Serves: 12-16

For the Meringue Discs
150g pistachio kernels, plus an extra 50g, chopped, for garnish
50g icing sugar
1 tsp cornflour
A pinch of salt
165g egg whites
155g caster sugar

For the Cherry Compote
350g frozen cherries
Juice of ½ lemon
60g caster sugar

For the Pistachio Cream
600ml whipping cream
60g pistachio creme

Method

Begin by heating your oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Cover three trays with greaseproof paper. Trace around an 18cm plate, outline a circle on the parchment. Turn the paper upside down so the drawn lines aren't touching the meringue.

Pulse together the 150g pistachios, icing sugar, cornflour, and salt until finely processed – some texture of pistachio are perfectly acceptable.

In a large bowl and beat at medium speed until frothy. Turn up to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form. While still beating, incorporate little by little the caster sugar until the meringue is thick, stiff, and glossy.

Carefully incorporate the processed nuts into the meringue, ensuring not to deflate it. Spoon the meringue into a bag fitted with a large tip and snip off about an inch from the tip.

Starting from the outer edge of each drawn circle, pipe a meringue disc onto each tray. Even it out using a palette knife. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until the meringues are lightly browned and are set to the touch. They should peel away cleanly when cool. Remove and cool completely.

While the meringues bake, prepare the cherry sauce. Add the frozen cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a pan and cook on a medium-low flame until the cherries start to thaw and liquid forms. Bring to a boil and cook for about five minutes until the cherries are broken down slightly. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon to a bowl, leaving the juices in the pan. Boil the juices until it has thickened slightly, then mix it back with the cherries. Leave to cool.

For the pistachio cream, beat the whipping cream and pistachio creme in a bowl until smooth and spreadable.

When building the cake, even out the discs of each meringue disc with a small serrated knife, following the original circle. Set the first layer on a serving plate and cover with a some of the whipped cream. Make a shallow dip (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the middle and spoon in some of the cherries (this prevents the juices from spilling). Top with the next meringue layer and layer again, saving a few cherries for the top decoration.

Place the final disc and frost the entire cake with the remaining cream, spreading it with a offset spatula. Press the chopped pistachios onto the sides.

Place the rest of the cream into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and add decorative dollops on top. Add the the saved cherries and chill until ready to serve.