This fresh and fruity Christmas tree pavlova recipe by My Kitchen Drawer is the perfect centrepiece for your festive celebrations. It’s the light but flavourful dessert everyone needs to cleanse their palettes after a rich meal, but its striking Christmas tree shape keeps it looking suitably festive and celebratory.

Difficulty: Medium/easy (it’s easier than it looks)

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Bake Time: 1 hour

Cooling Time: 3 hours

Serves: 6 

Ingredients 

For the Italian meringue 

• 6 large egg whites, room temperature (ideally 22 °C)
• 400g caster sugar
• 240ml water
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

For the raspberry coulis 

• 250g frozen or fresh raspberries
• 2 tbsp caster sugar 

For the whipped cream

• 200ml double cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp caster sugar 
  
  

To build

• 10 strawberries, with ends cut for the pillars
• 12 strawberries, diced
• 125g raspberries
• 2 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting
  
  

Method 

Before you start

• Preheat oven to 150 °C / 300 °F (130 °C fan).
• Set the oven shelves in the centre and lowest racks.
• Draw circles: Use cookie cutters to draw various-sized circles onto two sheets of baking paper
• Tray 1: 15cm, 12cm, 6.5cm diameter rounds
• Tray 2: 10cm, 8.5cm, 5cm, 4cm diameter rounds

To make the Italian meringue 

• Prepare your egg whites and have them ready in a stand mixer bowl or bowl with a hand mixer.
  
  
• Place the sugar and water in a large saucepan and cook over a gentle heat, stirring until the sugar has melted. 
  
  
• Increase the heat and let the mixture bubble until your Thermapen ONE reads 115 °C.
  
  
  
  

• Whilst the sugar is coming to temperature, whisk your egg whites and cream of tartar until they reach stiff peaks. 
  
  
• Once the sugar has reached 115 °C, remove the pan from the heat. With the mixer still running, slowly pour the syrup into the egg whites (being careful not to pour it onto the whisk).
  
  
• Add the lemon juice and continue whisking for 5 minutes until you have a thick, glossy meringue that holds stiff peaks. 
  
  
• Fit a piping bag with a large star-shaped piping nozzle, and fill it with the meringue mixture.
  
  
  

• Pipe tight coils over your traced circles then do another coil on top so they are 2cm thick. Smooth the surface out (except for the final 4cm round).
  
  
• Place Tray 1 on the middle shelf in the oven and Tray 2 underneath. Turn the oven down to 120 °C/250 °F (100 °C fan) and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.
  
  
• Once baked, turn the oven off and leave the meringue rounds to fully cool in the oven for at least 3 hours, maybe longer. After cooling, the meringue should be fully crisp and dry to the touch.
  
  
• Store until needed in airtight containers somewhere cool and dry.
  
  

To make the raspberry coulis

• Place ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes, mashing with a fork.
  
  
• Strain through a sieve, then cool fully before use.

To assemble

• Place the largest meringue round on a serving platter and spread across a generous layer of cream right to the edge. 
  
  
• Place 4 strawberry pillars around the edge, pressing them gently into the cream. Scatter some chopped strawberries and raspberries in the middle of the pillars (not too many, or you’ll weigh it down) and drizzle with raspberry coulis.
  
  
• Repeat this step with all the remaining rounds until you reach the smallest meringue, then drizzle the whole pavlova tower with raspberry coulis and dust over some icing sugar snow.
  
  
• Serve immediately.