Eton Mess-Inspired Christmas Tree Pavlova

Line the 3 x Le Creuset Insulated Cookie Sheets with baking paper, draw circles with the following radius on each:

24cm, 20cm, 18cm, 15cm, 8 cm, 2cm

Meringue:

In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites to a soft peak. Gradually beat in the caster sugar a tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until the mixture is thick, smooth, and no longer grainy.

Sift the cornflour over the meringue and add the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk for a further 5-10 seconds to combine. Remove the meringue from the mixer, clean the bowl and whisk and repeat the process to make a second batch.

To Pipe:

Pipe the bases with the round nozzle. They should be about 1cm thick; smooth the tops and repeat with the remaining rounds. The smallest one will be piped with the star nozzle. With the star nozzle, pipe little shell patterns around the border of each base. Bake the meringue at 120°C for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 100°C and continue baking for 1 ½ - 2 hours until the meringue is completely dried out. Turn the oven off and allow the meringue to cool in the oven. Store disks in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Diplomat Cream:

Sponge the gelatine in the cold water in a small microwavable container. Scald the milk with the vanilla pod and seeds. Whisk the sugar, egg yolks, whole egg, cornflour and salt together. Gradually incorporate the hot milk into the egg mixture, being careful not to add too much at once, which will split the mixture. Strain and discard the vanilla pod. Return to the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring continuously, until thickened. Melt the gelatine for 5-10 seconds in the microwave, be careful not to burn it. Then, quickly whisk it into the hot custard. Whisk in the butter. Cover with cling film on the surface of the custard and allow to cool to room temperature. Whisk the cream to a soft peak and fold into the cooled custard. Cover and chill until firm. The mixture can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.

To assemble:

Place the large base onto a Le Creuset 27cm Dinner Plate. Pipe or spread the diplomat cream on the base and repeat with the remaining layers. Top with the smallest one. Dot with berries and serve with a dust of icing sugar. It should be served immediately to avoid the meringue going too soggy.

TOP TIP: If you want to create a Pavlova stack that will last through the evening, pipe vanilla buttercream icing between each layer, this has more stability and can be used for the centrepiece of your dessert table. Make mini-Pavlova stacks with diplomat cream or deconstructed Eton mess for your guests to eat and enjoy.