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On this occasion, the traditional festive pav is making way for a equally impressive meringue-based treat. Crisp discs of pistachio-infused meringue are assembled with a lush pistachio cream and tart cherry sauce. Upon assembly, the discs become slightly from the moisture, creating a soft and tender feel. It's a wonderful alternative for Christmas dining free from chocolate, alcohol, or dried fruit.

Pistachio and Cherry Meringue Cake

Thanks to the popularity of a certain viral chocolate bar, pistachio creme is now readily available in most supermarkets. It is pre-sweetened and provides a beautiful pale green color. An alternative is pistachio butter instead, however the tone can be less vibrant and you'll likely need to balance the flavor.

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

First, heating your oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Prepare three baking sheets with greaseproof paper. Trace around an 18cm plate, mark a circle on the parchment. Turn the paper upside down so the ink aren't touching the meringue.

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

In a large bowl and beat at medium speed until foamy. Whisk more vigorously and beat until you have soft peaks. Keeping the mixer on, incorporate little by little the caster sugar until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks.

Gently fold the processed nuts into the meringue, taking care not to knock out the air. Place the batter into a large piping bag and snip off about 2.5cm from the tip.

Pipe from the outside of each pencil template, create a meringue layer onto each tray. Level the top using a palette knife. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until the meringues are gently colored and feel firm. They should come off the paper when cool. Allow to cool fully on the trays.

While the meringues bake, combine the compote ingredients. Put the cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a pan and warm over low heat until the cherries start to thaw and liquid forms. Increase the heat to boil and cook for 5-6 minutes until the cherries are broken down slightly. Spoon the cherries to a bowl, leaving the juices in the pan. Simmer the syrup until it has reduced by just over half, then pour it over the cherries. Leave to cool.

To make the filling, combine the whipping cream and pistachio creme in a bowl until it holds soft peaks.

To assemble, neaten the edges of each meringue disc with a gentle sawing motion, for a clean edge. Place one disc on a platter and top with a generous amount of the whipped cream. Form a depression (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the center and place some of the cherries (this contains the juices from spilling). Add another disc and repeat with more cream and cherries, reserving a small handful for the final garnish.

Set the top layer and frost the entire cake with the remaining cream, using a palette knife with a knife. Pat the reserved pistachios onto the edges.

Place the rest of the cream into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and create swirls on top. Garnish with the saved cherries and refrigerate before serving.