Get ready to create a festive dessert that’s as beautiful as it is delicious! These Pavlova Christmas Trees are a showstopper, perfect for your holiday celebrations. Light, crunchy meringue stacked with whipped cream, cranberry sauce, and chopped pistachios make these mini trees a sweet treat for the season!
Ingredients Meringue Circles
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 pinch salt
1 pinch cream of tartar (optional)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
Cranberry Sauce
2 generous cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup white sugar
Zest from 1/2 orange
1 pod star anise
1 pinch salt
1 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
Whipped Cream
1 cup very cold heavy cream
Trees
1/2 cup chopped roasted pistachios, or as needed
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar, or as needed for dusting
Directions
Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk sugar and cornstarch together in a bowl; set aside.
Add room temperature egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to a bowl, and beat on high speed with an electric mixer until foamy and doubled in size.
Slowly add the sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating continuously, until sugar dissolves into egg whites (test by pinching a small amount—if gritty, beat longer). Add vanilla and vinegar, and continue mixing until the mixture is thick, glossy, and forms stiff peaks.
Transfer the egg white mixture into a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe a circle about 1/2 inch thick and 2 1/2 to 3 inches across. Make 3 more circles, each smaller than the last, then pipe a small meringue “kiss.” Pipe 3 sets per sheet pan, totaling 6 sets.
Bake in the preheated oven until the surface of the meringue is no longer sticky, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. For best results, rotate pans halfway through. Bake until meringues are no longer sticky to the touch.
Turn off the oven, prop the door open slightly with a wooden spoon, and leave the meringues in the oven to cool for at least 1 hour.
Combine cranberries, sugar, orange zest, star anise, salt, and orange juice in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries soften but don’t completely break apart, and the liquid thickens into a syrup. Remove from heat to cool, then refrigerate the cranberry sauce.
Whip the heavy cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; refrigerate until needed.
To assemble each tree, place the largest meringue circle on the bottom. Cover with whipped cream, add a spoonful of cranberry sauce, then sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Finish the layer with a small dollop of whipped cream and top with the second-largest meringue circle.
Continue to build layers, using smaller meringue circles each time, and ending with the smallest meringue kiss. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to assemble all 6 trees.
Drip additional cranberry sauce down the sides for a festive touch, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Enjoy this holiday dessert that’s sure to impress your guests! 🍽
View attachment 6925Get ready to create a festive dessert that’s as beautiful as it is delicious! These Pavlova Christmas Trees are a showstopper, perfect for your holiday celebrations. Light, crunchy meringue stacked with whipped cream, cranberry sauce, and chopped pistachios make these mini trees a sweet treat for the season!
Ingredients Meringue Circles
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 pinch salt
1 pinch cream of tartar (optional)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
Cranberry Sauce
2 generous cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup white sugar
Zest from 1/2 orange
1 pod star anise
1 pinch salt
1 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
Whipped Cream
1 cup very cold heavy cream
Trees
1/2 cup chopped roasted pistachios, or as needed
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar, or as needed for dusting
Directions
Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk sugar and cornstarch together in a bowl; set aside.
Add room temperature egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to a bowl, and beat on high speed with an electric mixer until foamy and doubled in size.
Slowly add the sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating continuously, until sugar dissolves into egg whites (test by pinching a small amount—if gritty, beat longer). Add vanilla and vinegar, and continue mixing until the mixture is thick, glossy, and forms stiff peaks.
Transfer the egg white mixture into a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe a circle about 1/2 inch thick and 2 1/2 to 3 inches across. Make 3 more circles, each smaller than the last, then pipe a small meringue “kiss.” Pipe 3 sets per sheet pan, totaling 6 sets.
Bake in the preheated oven until the surface of the meringue is no longer sticky, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. For best results, rotate pans halfway through. Bake until meringues are no longer sticky to the touch.
Turn off the oven, prop the door open slightly with a wooden spoon, and leave the meringues in the oven to cool for at least 1 hour.
Combine cranberries, sugar, orange zest, star anise, salt, and orange juice in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries soften but don’t completely break apart, and the liquid thickens into a syrup. Remove from heat to cool, then refrigerate the cranberry sauce.
Whip the heavy cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; refrigerate until needed.
To assemble each tree, place the largest meringue circle on the bottom. Cover with whipped cream, add a spoonful of cranberry sauce, then sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Finish the layer with a small dollop of whipped cream and top with the second-largest meringue circle.
Continue to build layers, using smaller meringue circles each time, and ending with the smallest meringue kiss. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to assemble all 6 trees. healthcare marketing services Calgary
Drip additional cranberry sauce down the sides for a festive touch, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Enjoy this holiday dessert that’s sure to impress your guests! 🍽
These Pavlova Christmas Trees are a festive treat perfect for the holidays! To make them, you will need to bake meringue circles, prepare a cranberry sauce, whip some heavy cream, and then layer the meringues with whipped cream, cranberry sauce, and chopped pistachios. Stack the meringue circles from largest to smallest, drizzle with cranberry sauce, and dust with powdered sugar. The result is a beautiful and delicious dessert that's sure to impress your guests!
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