This year’s winter holidaydeserves a little extra attention, so celebrate this festivetimewith these delicious meringue Christmas wreath with cherry kirsch compote and hazelnuts recipe!
Ingredients:
- 4 egg whites
- 200g castor sugar
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 150g freshcherries, half pitted and the rest left whole with stems
- 3 tbsps Kirsch (cherryliqueur or you can use brandy)
- 75g castor sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 300ml double cream
- 2 tbsps castor sugar
- 50g toasted and chopped hazelnuts
Method:
- Preheat oven to 140c/120c fan. Whisk the egg white in a scrupulously cleanbowl using a standing mixer or electric handheld whisk. Start the speed onlow and when they become foamy increase the speed to medium.
- When softpeaks form, start to add the sugar, one tbsp at a time. Keep adding until it’sall incorporated and the stiff glossy peaks form. Add the cornflour andvinegar and stir once or twice to mix through.
- Cover a large baking sheet with non-stick baking paper. Draw a 28cm circleon the paper and then drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the paper in theshape of a wreath.
- Use the back of a spoon to make indentions into themeringue spoonfuls. Bake for 90 minutes and then turn the oven off. Leavethe meringue in the oven until cool.
- While the meringue is cooking, place the pittedcherriesin a mediumsaucepan. Add the kirsch, sugar and vanilla. Simmer the mixture until theliquid is syrupy, about 8-10 minutes. Remove and set aside until cool.
- Whisk the cream with the castor sugar until soft peaks form. Spoon this ontothe cooled meringue. Drizzle thecherrysyrup over and top with the poachedcherriesand fresh ones.
Brought to you byLove FreshCherries, the UK’s nationalcherryassociation,and chefJennifer Joyce