Ingredients
Brandied cherries
Eggnog custard
Method
Layered eggnog pavlova
1.Make brandied cherries (see recipe below).
2.Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F. Line four large oven trays with baking paper.
3.Beat egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until dissolved between additions. Beat in sifted cornflour and spices, and vinegar on low speed until just combined (overbeating at this stage will cause the meringue to deflate).
4.Drop large serving-spoon sized amounts of the meringue onto trays you need 18 meringues. Using the back of a spoon; smooth the top of each meringue slightly. Bake for 1 hour or until dry to touch, swapping the trays halfway through baking time for even baking. Cool in oven with door ajar.
5.Make the eggnog custard (see recipe below).
6.Assemble the pavlovas close to serving. Spoon half the eggnog custard over nine of the meringues, sandwich with remaining meringues; top with the remaining custard, brandied cherries and syrup.
Brandied cherries
7.Cut half the cherries in half, remove pit. Score a cross in the base of remaining cherries.
8.Combine the water, brandy, juice, sugar and spices in a medium saucepan; stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, bring to the boil. Remove from heat.
9.Pour syrup over cherries in a medium heatproof bowl; cool. Cover, refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
10.Drain cherries over a medium saucepan; bring syrup to the boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low, simmer about 15 minutes or until syrup has thickened and reduced by half. Cool.
Eggnog custard
11.Beat cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently beat in mascarpone and custard until just combined. Fold in remaining ingredients; cover, refrigerate until needed.
