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This year, the traditional festive pav is being swapped for a wonderfully different dessert featuring meringue. Crisp discs of meringue with pistachio are stacked with a lush pistachio cream and a vibrant cherry compote. As it rests, the discs become slightly beneath the filling, resulting in a pleasantly chewy feel. It's a wonderful alternative for Christmas dining free from the usual suspects of chocolate and booze.

Pistachio and Cherry Meringue Cake

Thanks to the trend of a well-known confection, ready-made pistachio spread is simple to source in many grocery stores. This product is pre-sweetened and offers a lovely, soft green hue. An alternative is pistachio butter if preferred, though the color may be duller and some added sweetness is needed to adjust the sweetness.

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. Line three baking trays with baking paper. Using an 18cm plate or cake tin, mark a circle on every sheet. Turn the paper upside down so the pen marks aren't touching the meringue.

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

Using a stand mixer and mix initially until light and bubbly. Increase the speed and continue to whisk until soft peaks form. Keeping the mixer on, slowly pour in the caster sugar until the meringue is firm, shiny, and holds its shape.

Using a spatula, fold the pistachio mixture into the meringue, taking care not to over-mix. Spoon the meringue into a bag fitted with a large tip and snip off about an inch from the tip.

Beginning at the perimeter of each outline, fill the circle with meringue onto each tray. Smooth the surface carefully. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the meringues are pale gold and are set to the touch. They should release easily 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 about five minutes until the cherries are broken down slightly. Spoon the cherries to a bowl, keeping the liquid in the pan. Simmer the syrup until it has halved in volume, then pour it over the cherries. Allow to reach room temperature.

For the pistachio cream, beat 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 serving plate and top with a generous amount of the whipped cream. Create a slight well (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the center and place some of the cherries (this prevents the syrup from leaking). Place the second layer and repeat the process, setting aside a small handful for the top decoration.

Place the final disc and cover the top and sides with the rest of the pistachio cream, smoothing it with a knife. Press the chopped pistachios onto the vertical surface.

Place the rest of the cream into a pastry bag with a star tip and pipe rosettes on top. Add the the saved cherries and refrigerate before serving.