Christmas tree meringue tower

For the meringue

• Preheat the oven to 130c 265f fan (150c for non fan ovens)
• If you have a large range oven you could bake this in one go, if not then make half at a time. (half the recipe quantity for each batch)
• Line four baking trays with baking paper
• In a very clean bowl (see tips on post) add the egg whites and start whipping, once peaks form and they have doubled in volume add the sugar a spoonful at a time.
• Once the sugar is added turn the mixer up to high speed a leave for 5 minutes.
• Scrape around the bowl with a clean dry spatula, add the corn flour and continue mixing for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Check mixture by rubbing some between your fingers, if you can still feel big grains of sugar it needs to be mixed for longer. keep mixing until the mixture feels smooth. you should be able to tip the bowl upside down and it doesn't move.
• Now we need to create the layers
• For the base layer, which is the largest, first spoon on 1/2 cup of meringue in the centre of the baking tray in a neat circle.
• Fit a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe a cross, then pipe a line in between creating a star with 6 points. then pipe more mixture so you have a large pavlova like layer in the shape of a star. Use the back of a spoon to make a well in the centre then make sure the top is flat.
• Then make the next layer the same way but slightly smaller, and the third.
• The next 2 layers can be thinner but still make a well in the centre.
• For the final layer make a little point on the top to look like the top of a tree.
• The smallest layers will need 1 and a half to 2 hours and the largest layers 2 and a half hours.

  let the meringues cool in the oven with the door ajar if you can.

For the truffles

• Break the raspberries up into small pieces then add to a bowl with the other ingredients and mix.
• Using wet hands roll into balls and then roll into some more coconut and place on a tray and cover and place in the fridge to chill, you can pipe on some white chocolate if you wish and spray with gold spray (you can also use shop bought coconut truffles)

For the filling

• Add the raspberries, caster sugar and water in a pan and simmer until they become really juicy. reduce a little and then let cool in the fridge. (you can pour through a sieve to remove seeds before you reduce it if you wish)
• Add the cream in a bowl with icing sugar and mix until it just starts to thicken then add the coconut cream and vanilla and mix again until soft peaks form.

white chocolate stars

• Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water then add to a piping bag, snip the end off so you have a small hole and pipe stars onto some baking paper, spray with some gold lustre spray and leave to harden.

Assembling it

• Take the base layer and place on a large platter
• Fill with some cream and then spoon on some compote and add some fresh raspberries then add the next layer.
• Continue building up the layers and adding the filling between each one.
• Decorate with the gold stars and truffles, you can add some raspberries and red currents also if you wish.

Best to be assembled right before serving