Tropical meringue Christmas tree

SERVES 8-10 PREP AND COOK TIME

2 HOURS 30 MINUTES (+ COOLING TIME)

6 egg whites pinch of cream of tartar

1 ½ cups (330g) caster sugar

⁄ cup (15g) flaked coconut

300ml thickened cream 2 tablespoons icing sugar

2 green kiwi fruit, sliced 5mm thick 2 gold kiwi fruit, sliced 5mm thick 230g box Ferrero Rafaello, unwrapped

¼ cup passionfruit pulp

1 Preheat oven to 120°C (100°C fan-forced). Grease two large oven trays. Draw a 19cm, 16cm, 13cm, 9cm and 6cm circles on baking paper (see below). Place on trays.

2 Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating until dissolved between additions and until meringue is smooth and glossy. Gently and quickly fold in coconut. The fat in the coconut will start to deflate the meringue, so don’t overwork it.

3 Place ½ cup of meringue on the 6cm circle; form a peak. Divide the remaining meringue between the remaining circles. Using the back of a spoon or palette knife, build up the sides.

4 Bake meringues for 1 ½ hours or until dry to the touch. Rotate trays halfway through. Cool meringues in oven with door ajar.

5 Beat the cream and icing sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Cut out 4cm and 3cm stars from kiwi fruit slices, if you like.

6 Just before serving, place the 19cm meringue on a cake stand. Spread with some of the cream mixture; top with 16cm meringue. Top with more cream mixture, some kiwi fruit and

Rafaellos; drizzle with some of the passionfruit. Repeat with the 13cm and 9cm meringues. Top with the

6cm meringue, a little cream and a Rafaello. Just before serving, drizzle with the remaining passionfruit. Not suitable to freeze or microwave.