Waitrose Christmas Dessert Campaign - Christmas Wreath

Just 3 weeks till Christmas! Its coming quick. One of my favourite things about Christmas apart from the family is the food. According to Waitrose the top desserts for the day are:

Christmas Pudding

*        Christmas Cake

*        Mince Pie

*        Chocolate Yule Log

*        Trifle

Now while I adore Yule Log and Trifles I’m not too fond of Mince Pies, Cakes & Puddings. Disgraceful I know! So I do a twist on one of these. Rather than a traditional Christmas Pudding I tend to make a Christmas Meringue Wreath. While you have some of the same flavours (treacle and fruits) it’s a lot lighter – especially needed after the big lunch and theres a lot more cream!

Ingredients

For the meringue

6 egg whites

300g (10oz) caster sugar*

1½ tsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp cornflour

2 tbsp of Cocoa Powder

200ml Double Cream

2 tbsp Icing Sugar

1 tsp Brandy (add more or less depending on taste!)

Fruit – We went for Raspberries & Strawberries and a couple of cranberries.

Cherry or Raspberry Coulis

Gold Stars to dust

*I’m not fond of treacle but you can replace the sugar here with 150ml of Treacle if you prefer the flavour.

Preheat the oven to 170 or 150 if you have a fan oven. Line a baking tray with non-stick paper and draw a circle about 10” in diameter in the middle.

In a clean bowl (the egg whites wont stiffen if not clean) whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk on medium/high for 4 minutes until they form soft peaks and the ends don’t flop. Carry on whisking and add the sugar gradually one spoon at a time for another 4 minutes until the mixture feels smooth when rubbed between fingers. Add the cornflour, vinegar and cocoa powder and fold in gently with a spatula. The cocoa wont mix thoroughly and this leaves gorgeous streaks through the meringue.

Spoon large equal amounts of the meringue mixture around the circle to form a simple wreath shape.

Pop the meringue and IMMEDIATELY turn the temperature down to 140 or 120 if a fan. Leave in the oven for an hour and half. At the end of this turn the oven off and open the door but leave the meringue in overnight if you can before very very carefully transferring to a serving platter.

To make the topping, whip the cream with the brandy and sugar for 2 minutes, using an electric whisk, until it is soft and thick and no longer runny.  Carefully spoon the whipped cream over the meringue wreath in a thick layer until evenly covered. Then arrange your chosen fruit around the wreath. Before serving drizzle over your coulis and sprinkle with gold stars.

Voila, the best bits of Christmas pudding! What about some of these?