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For the holidays, my usual Christmas dessert is being swapped for a similarly delightful dessert featuring meringue. Crisp discs of pistachio-infused meringue are layered with smooth nut cream and juicy cherry mixture. Upon assembly, the meringue softens slightly beneath the filling, creating a delightfully cake-like feel. Consider it a superb option for a holiday sweet free from traditional rich ingredients.

Cherry and Pistachio Meringue Cake

Thanks to the popularity of a well-known confection, pistachio creme is now readily available in local shops. This product is already sweetened and provides a subtle verdant shade. An alternative is pistachio butter as a substitute, however 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 preheating the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Cover three trays with baking paper. Trace around an 18cm plate, mark a circle on every sheet. Flip the paper over so the pen marks don't come into contact the meringue.

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

Using a stand mixer and whisk on medium until frothy. Increase the speed and mix until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the caster sugar until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks.

Gently fold the ground nut mix into the meringue, ensuring not to knock out the air. Transfer the mixture into a pastry bag and cut off about 2.5cm from the tip.

Starting from the outer edge of each drawn circle, create a meringue layer onto each tray. Smooth the surface using a palette knife. Place in the oven until the meringues are gently colored and feel firm. They should peel away cleanly when cool. Remove and cool completely.

While the meringues bake, prepare the cherry sauce. Put the cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a pot and cook on a medium-low flame until the cherries soften. Increase the heat to boil and cook for five or six minutes until the cherries are softened. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon to a bowl, keeping the liquid in the pan. Reduce the liquid until it has halved in volume, then mix it back with the cherries. Leave to cool.

To make the filling, combine the whipping cream and pistachio creme in a bowl until smooth and spreadable.

To assemble, even out the discs of each meringue disc with a bread knife, using the 18cm guide. Place one disc on a serving plate and cover with a layer of the whipped cream. Form a depression (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the center and place some of the cherries (this contains the syrup from leaking). Add another disc and repeat the process, setting aside a portion for the final garnish.

Place the final disc and mask the cake with the leftover filling, using a palette knife with a knife. Pat the reserved pistachios onto the vertical surface.

Put the remaining filling into a pastry bag with a star tip and create swirls on top. Top with the remaining fruit and refrigerate before serving.