Meringue Christmas Tree

• Vegetarian
• Gluten free

• Produce

  • 300 1/4 g Berries, frozen mixed
  • 1 Mulled berry coulis
  • 300 1/4 g Raspberries, fresh
  • 1 White chocolate truffles

• Refrigerated

  • 300 1/4 g Egg whites

• Canned Goods

  • 300 1/4 g Coconut milk

• Condiments

  • 1 tsp Vanilla paste

• Baking & Spices

  • 597 2/3 g Caster sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon or a cinnamon stick, ground
  • 1/2 tsp Cream of tartar
  • 2 tbsp Granulated sugar
  • 199 1/4 g Icing sugar
  • 1 Little cornflour

• Nuts & Seeds

  • 1/4 tsp Coconut extract

• Dairy

  • 597 2/3 g Double cream

• Beer, Wine & Liquor

  • 6 tbsp Tawny port or red wine

Found on supergoldenbakes.com

Description

Ingredients

• For the meringue
• 150g | 5.3oz egg whites
• 300g | 10.5oz caster sugar
• ½ tsp cream of tartar
• a little cornflour (cornstarch) to dust the trays
• For the filling
• 300g | 10.5oz double cream
• 150g | 5.3oz chilled coconut milk
• 100g | 3.5oz icing sugar (more or less, to taste)
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• ¼ tsp coconut extract
• Mulled berry coulis
• 150g | 5.3oz frozen mixed berries
• 6 tbsp tawny port or red wine
• 2-3 tbsp granulated sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick
• To assemble and decorate
• 150g | 5.3oz fresh raspberries
• white chocolate truffles (optional)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 150C | 300F and set two shelves in the middle of the oven.
• Trace three circles on greaseproof paper - mine where 16,11 and 7cm, but you can trace them wider as long as the are decreasing in size so that they can be stacked to create the tree. You will have enough meringue to create duplicates of the smaller layers plus a few kisses. Base your biggest circle on the diameter of the cake stand or plate you plan on using.
• Place your tracings on two baking trays and dust with a little cornflour.
• Put the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Start whisking at medium-low speed and gradually increase the speed to maximum until you have soft peaks.
• Start adding the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, while whisking. Continue whisking for several minutes until all the sugar is added and meringue forms firm peaks. Beat it the vanilla paste until combined.
• Fill the circles you traced with meringue using a spoon to shape it. Pipe any extra merigue into kisses using a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 120C (250F) and bake for an hour and half to two hours, rotating the trays halway through, until dry to the touch.
• Turn the oven off. Leave the meringues in to cool completely with the door open.
• Make the coulis: put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes until the fruit is softened. Leave to cool then strain the syrup and set aside.
• Beat the chilled coconut milk and double cream until you have soft peaks. Add the icing sugar, vanilla paste and coconut extract and whisk until you have firm peaks. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
• Assemble the meringue tree by piping the whipped cream over the base layer and dotting with raspberries and white chocolate truffles (if using).
• Repeat with remaining layers. Top the tree with a meringue kiss or the smallest circle and drizzle with the coulis just before serving.