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This year, the traditional festive pav is getting replaced for a equally impressive sweet creation. Golden rounds of pistachio-infused meringue are stacked with smooth nut cream and juicy cherry mixture. Upon assembly, the meringue softens slightly from the moisture, achieving a pleasantly chewy consistency. Consider it a wonderful alternative for Christmas dining without chocolate, alcohol, or dried fruit.

Cherry and Pistachio Meringue Cake

Thanks to the craze of a well-known confection, pistachio creme is easy to find in local shops. This product is pre-sweetened and imparts a lovely, soft green hue. You could opt for pure pistachio paste if preferred, but the tone can be less vibrant and it may require to sweeten it to taste.

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

Directions

First, preheating the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Line three baking trays with parchment paper. Using an 18cm plate or cake tin, outline a circle on each piece of paper. Flip the paper over so the ink won't transfer the meringue.

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

Place the egg whites and whisk on medium until foamy. Increase the speed and continue to whisk until you have soft peaks. Keeping the mixer on, incorporate little by little the caster sugar until the meringue is firm, shiny, and holds its shape.

Carefully incorporate the pistachio mixture into the meringue, being careful not to over-mix. Spoon the meringue into a large piping bag and trim about an inch from the tip.

Starting from the outer edge of each drawn circle, pipe a meringue disc onto each tray. Level the top gently. Place in the oven until the meringues are gently colored and sound hollow when tapped. They should release easily when cool. Take out and let cool.

While the meringues bake, prepare the cherry sauce. Add the frozen cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a pot 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. Simmer the syrup until it has halved in volume, then combine it with the cherries. Leave to cool.

To make the filling, beat the whipping cream and pistachio creme in a bowl until just thickened.

To assemble, neaten the edges of each meringue disc with a small serrated knife, following the original circle. Position the bottom meringue on a serving plate and spread on a generous amount of the whipped cream. Form a depression (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the top and add some of the cherries (to stop the juices from spilling). Add another disc and layer again, reserving a few cherries for the top decoration.

Add the last meringue and cover the top and sides with the remaining cream, smoothing it with a palette knife or bench scraper. Adhere the extra nuts onto the edges.

Put the remaining filling into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and create swirls on top. Add the the reserved cherries and chill until ready to serve.