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This year, the traditional festive pav is being swapped for a similarly delightful meringue-based treat. Crisp discs of meringue with pistachio are assembled with a lush pistachio cream and juicy cherry mixture. As it rests, the meringue softens slightly beneath the filling, resulting in a pleasantly chewy consistency. This makes a fantastic choice for Christmas dining that omits the usual suspects of chocolate and booze.

Cherry and Pistachio Meringue Cake

Inspired by the craze of a well-known confection, pistachio creme is simple to source in many grocery stores. The spread is sugar-added and provides a beautiful pale green color. You could opt for pure pistachio paste if preferred, but the tone can be less vibrant and you'll likely need 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

Begin by warming the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Line three baking trays with baking paper. Trace around an 18cm plate, outline a circle on the parchment. Flip the paper over so the pen marks won't transfer the meringue.

Using a processor the 150g pistachios, icing sugar, cornflour, and salt until largely ground – a few chunkier pieces of pistachio are perfectly acceptable.

In a large bowl and whisk on medium until frothy. Whisk more vigorously and beat until soft peaks form. Keeping the mixer on, incorporate little by little the caster sugar until the meringue is thick, stiff, and glossy.

Carefully incorporate the processed nuts into the meringue, taking care not to deflate it. Place the batter into a pastry bag and trim about 2.5cm from the tip.

Beginning at the perimeter of each outline, create a meringue layer onto each tray. Level the top gently. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until the meringues are pale gold and sound hollow when tapped. They should come off the paper when cool. Take out and let cool.

In the meantime, combine the compote ingredients. Place all compote ingredients in a pot and cook on a medium-low flame until the cherries begin to release juice. Increase the heat to boil and cook for about five minutes until the cherries are tender. Transfer the fruit to a bowl, keeping the liquid in the pan. Simmer the syrup until it has reduced by just over half, then pour it over the cherries. Set aside to cool.

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

For construction, neaten the edges of each meringue disc with a small serrated knife, following the original circle. Position the bottom meringue on a platter and spread on a generous amount of the whipped cream. Form a depression (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the top and place some of the cherries (this prevents the juices from spilling). Place the second layer and repeat with more cream and cherries, setting aside a portion for the top decoration.

Set the top layer and frost the entire cake with the rest of the pistachio cream, using a palette knife with a palette knife or bench scraper. Pat the reserved pistachios onto the vertical surface.

Put the remaining filling into a pastry bag with a star tip and pipe rosettes on top. Garnish with the reserved cherries and keep cold until it's time to eat.