The light airy, just crunchy joy of meringue makes for a fantastic festive dessert. Read on for some wonderfully simple Christmas meringue desserts, and some that take a little more time but are easier than their impressive looks suggest!
The popular English dessert is given a Latin twist using a jar of Spanish/South American caramel, banana and almonds. Simon Bajada's recipe includes homemade meringues, but you could easily adapt the idea using bought meringues or pavlova. And if you can't get your hands on dulce de leche, Bajada suggests using canned caramel from supermarkets from supermarkets instead.
Credit: Brett Stevens
This Eton mess tray dessert from Adam Liaw has all the texture and flavour of a traditional pav, but with far less work involved! The meringue is cooked in a baking tray (no worrying about achieving a circle), then crushed in the tray after cooling. It's then topped with gently cooked strawberries in syrup and whipped cream.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
If you're after a really simple, fast Christmas meringue dessert, look no further. Donna Hay calls this the easiest summer dessert that one could imagine. Go for the best seasonal fruit on offer and layer in cups with crushed store-board meringue and whipped cream.
Pavlova cups Credit: Donna Hay: Fast, Fresh, Simple
No need to worry about achieving a snowy white pavlova with this recipe! The pav is meant to be brown. But that's not why we love it. It's the generously drizzling with coffee syrup and condensed milk that turn this two-layer pavlova into a magnificent dessert.
Vietnamese iced coffee pavlova Credit: Georgia McDermott
If you do dream of a lush and lovely, snowy white pav, calm any fears about making it with this recipe from Donna Hay, and the tips in this guide to making great pavlova.
Donna Hay loves a tall pav, so you get lots of crunchy edges and pillowy filling Credit: Donna Hay: Basics to Brilliance
A summery reinvention of the Aussie pav! It's simple: smash up your meringues or a store-bought pavlova and mix it up with passionfruit curd and a cream mixture, freeze and four hours later you have an easy dessert for any occasion.
Credit: Petrina Tinslay
These are intensely minty, with a chewy middle that is somehow also reminiscent of the nostalgic sticky sweetness of a candy cane, says Skye McAlpine. The merry and kitsch swirls of bright red through the snowy peaks are impressive and festive, but optional – you can also make pristine white versions. Good for dessert (perhaps with cream or crème fraîche) or as a gift. You can make them any size you like, and they'll keep for 2-3 weeks. Or if you'd like chocolate meringues with a special touch, try this Turkish delight chocolate swirl meringue recipe.
Peppermint meringues. Credit: Bloomsbury Publishing / Skye McAlpine
Think pavlova, Mexican-style, and baked in a tin. Believed to have originated in Monterrey in Mexico’s north-east, mostachon is a traditional meringue cake, which typically includes crushed plain biscuits and walnuts in the meringue to create an extra crisp base. The cakes is topped with a cream cheese icing, and then whatever fruit is in season (sliced strawberries make for an pretty finish).
Credit: Feast magazine
This one does take more time than some of those above - but it's still easier than you might think given it's impressive looks and decadent tastes. This decadent recipe from Donal Skehan has rich, fudgy brownie under light and chewy meringue with a boozy cream on top.
Boozy brownie meringue. Credit: Donal's Family Food in Minutes
Ube is a bright purple yam originally from the Philippines. Here it adds a Filipino twist to a classic Australian dessert. Ube-tinted pavlova nests are topped with passionfruit curd, grilled pineapple and ube whipped cream. While the recipe has four elements, you can simplify to suit your available time: buy the passionfruit curd and use fresh pineapple, for example. It's also a great recipe if you want to get ahead - the pavlovas can be stored for up to 5 days, and the passionfruit curd refrigerated for up to 10 days.
Credit: Kitti Gould
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