Fabulous festive BAKING
Cherry and chocolate pavlova stack
Always a party hit, this splendid towering meringue stack is guaranteed to wow guests and have them fighting over the jammy layers.
Serves 10 • Ready in 2 hrs 30 mins, plus cooling and chilling
for the meringue
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
330g caster sugar
½tsp white wine or cider vinegar
1tsp cornflour
for the filling
400ml double cream
200g good-quality dark chocolate,
broken into pieces
600g jar Bonne Maman Cherry Compote
4tbsp Cointreau or fresh orange juice
chocolate shavings, to decorate
1 Heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Line 3 baking trays with baking parchment and mark each with a 20cm circle.
2 Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then add the caster sugar 1tbsp at a time. Whisk until glossy and smooth, and the mixture retains its stiff peaks. Finally, whisk in the vinegar and cornflour. Divide half the mix between 2 of the circles, using a palette knife to level off a little. Spoon the remaining mix into the third circle and use the back of a metal spoon to make pillowy swirls at the edge.
3 Put the meringue in the oven and reduce the temperature to 120C/Gas ½. Bake for 2 hrs. Once cooked, allow to cool, then carefully peel the meringue discs off the baking paper and set aside.
4 For the filling, bring the cream to the boil, remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate. Mix until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Chill.
Tip the cherry compote into a sieve over a saucepan and leave to drain for 20 mins. Put the cherries into a bowl and set aside. Stir half
