This year, the traditional festive pav is being swapped for a wonderfully different sweet creation. Baked layers of meringue with pistachio are stacked with a lush pistachio cream and juicy cherry mixture. Upon assembly, the meringue softens slightly from the moisture, creating a delightfully cake-like consistency. It's a superb option for Christmas dining without chocolate, alcohol, or dried fruit.
Pistachio and Cherry Meringue Cake
Inspired by the craze of a recent social media sensation, pistachio creme is easy to find in local shops. It is sugar-added and provides a subtle verdant shade. An alternative is unsweetened nut butter if preferred, but the color may be duller and some added sweetness is needed 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
Method
Begin by warming the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Prepare three baking sheets with parchment paper. Trace around an 18cm plate, mark a circle on each piece of paper. Flip the paper over so the ink don't come into contact the meringue.
In a food processor the 150g pistachios, icing sugar, cornflour, and salt until mostly fine – a few chunkier pieces of pistachio are perfectly acceptable.
Place the egg whites and whisk on medium until frothy. Increase the speed and continue to whisk until the whites hold a soft peak. Keeping the mixer on, slowly pour in the caster sugar until the meringue is thick, stiff, and glossy.
Gently fold the ground nut mix into the meringue, taking care not to deflate it. Spoon the meringue into a bag fitted with a large tip and cut off about 2.5cm from the tip.
Starting from the outer edge of each outline, 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 feel firm. They should peel away cleanly when cool. Allow to cool fully on the trays.
While the meringues bake, make the compote. Add the frozen 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. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon to a bowl, leaving the juices in the pan. Reduce the liquid until it has thickened slightly, then mix it back with the cherries. Allow to reach room temperature.
For the pistachio cream, combine the whipping cream and pistachio creme in a bowl until just thickened.
When building the cake, even out the discs of each meringue disc with a bread knife, for a clean edge. Place one disc on a cake stand and spread on a some of the whipped cream. Make a shallow dip (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the center and add some of the cherries (to stop the compote from running). Top with the next meringue layer and layer again, saving a portion for the final garnish.
Add the last meringue and frost the entire cake with the rest of the pistachio cream, using a palette knife with a knife. Pat the reserved pistachios onto the sides.
Put the remaining filling into a bag with a decorative tip and pipe rosettes on top. Top with the saved cherries and chill until ready to serve.
