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This year, my usual Christmas dessert is making way for a equally impressive meringue-based treat. Baked layers of meringue with pistachio are layered with a lush pistachio cream and juicy cherry mixture. While it sits, the meringue layers give slightly beneath the filling, achieving a soft and tender texture. This makes a superb option for Christmas dining free from the usual suspects of chocolate and booze.

Festive Nut & Fruit Meringue Cake

Inspired by the popularity of a well-known confection, sweet pistachio paste is simple to source in many grocery stores. It is pre-sweetened and provides a beautiful pale green color. An alternative is unsweetened nut butter as a substitute, however the hue might be muddier 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 parchment paper. Trace around an 18cm plate, mark a circle on every sheet. Turn the paper upside down so the pen marks aren't touching the meringue.

Pulse together the 150g pistachios, icing sugar, cornflour, and salt until mostly fine – a few chunkier pieces of pistachio are desirable.

In a large bowl and mix initially until foamy. Whisk more vigorously and continue to whisk until soft peaks form. While still beating, incorporate little by little the caster sugar until the meringue is firm, shiny, and holds its shape.

Gently fold the pistachio mixture into the meringue, ensuring not to knock out the air. Spoon the meringue into a large piping bag and cut off about a generous opening from the tip.

Starting from the outer edge of each drawn circle, fill the circle with meringue onto each tray. Level the top gently. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until the meringues are gently colored and sound hollow when tapped. They should peel away cleanly when cool. Remove and cool completely.

In the meantime, combine the compote ingredients. Put the cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a pot and heat gently until the cherries begin to release juice. Let it come to a simmer and cook for five or six minutes until the cherries are broken down slightly. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon to a bowl, reserving the syrup in the pan. Boil the juices until it has thickened slightly, then mix it back with the cherries. Leave to cool.

Prepare the cream layer, whip together the whipping cream and pistachio creme in a bowl until just thickened.

To assemble, even out the discs of each meringue disc with a small serrated knife, using the 18cm guide. Set the first layer on a serving plate and top with a layer of the whipped cream. Make a shallow dip (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the middle and add some of the cherries (this contains the juices from spilling). Place the second layer and repeat with more cream and cherries, reserving a portion for the final garnish.

Add the last meringue and cover the top and sides with the remaining cream, spreading it with a offset spatula. Press the chopped pistachios onto the vertical surface.

Transfer any leftover cream into a pastry bag with a star tip and add decorative dollops on top. Add the the remaining fruit and keep cold until it's time to eat.