Christmas meringue tree recipe

We're nearly there, the kids are beginning to think about hanging their stockings, friends and family are starting to gather, and excitement is building with every present we wrap and card we sign.

Thoughts have turned to that show-stopping dessert. The one that sits on the side and the kids want to stick their fingers in, the one that makes the adults not want to bother with the main course.

Here at The Healthy Gut HQ, we love a traditional pavlova, but Rebecca decided to give it a makeover for the SIBO Christmas eCookbook, and we were all in awe of this gorgeous SIBO-friendly Christmas meringue tree recipe.

Not one to do things by halves, Rebecca Coomes decided to build a tree... a tree made of meringue. And so, the SIBO-friendly Christmas meringue tree was born!

This was the recipe that stopped us all in our tracks......and the one we all wanted to taste test. Fun to make and completely stunning with its glistening Christmassy red berries, this is SIBO-friendly cooking at its absolute best.

So the only question is how tall will yours be? We'd love to see your pics of this one so please tag us when you give it a try.

We used glucose in our meringue but you can use a sweetener that you can tolerate to create your pillowy meringue.

Thanks to our lovely friends at Organic Angels for supplying the scrumptious organic produce featured in this recipe.  Click here to find out more about how they could deliver beautiful organic produce to your door.

SIBO Christmas Meringue Tree Recipe

Classification: Semi-restricted phase, gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, low FODMAP

25-30 servings

Ingredients

Meringue

12 egg whites

2 cups / 500g glucose

2 tsp vanilla powder

Filling

6 cups coconut milk, chilled

1 tbs vanilla powder

4 cups strawberries, halved

4 cups raspberries

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 120C/250F.  Cover 4 large baking sheets with baking/parchment paper. Draw circles of the following sizes on the paper: 25cm/9.8-inch, 22cm/8.6-inch, 19cm/7.4-inch, 16cm/6.2-inch, 13cm/5.1-inch, 10cm/3.9-inch and 7cm/2.7-inch.

Place the egg whites in a very large bowl.  Make sure it is very clean as any grease will prevent the egg whites from stiffening.  Using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Slowly mix in the glucose until fully incorporated and the mixture is glossy.  Mix in the vanilla powder.

Using the circles as a guide, divide the meringue mixture across the four trays, ensuring each circle has an even thickness and is flat across the top.  The 7cm/2.7-inch circle is the top of the tree.  You may like to shape this into a peak to resemble the top of a tree.  Place in the oven and bake for 1 ¾ hours or until dry and firm to the touch.  Turn the heat off and cool the meringues in the oven with the door ajar.

To make the filling, scoop the solidified coconut milk out of the can and into a bowl.  Discard the watery liquid at the bottom of the can.  Add the vanilla powder, then beat until stiff peaks form.

To assemble just before serving, place the largest circle on a cake tray or platter.  Top with some whipped coconut.  Lay strawberry halves and raspberries evenly over the top.  The bottom piece will need to carry the weight of the remaining pieces, so it is important that the berries are evenly placed on this layer.  Repeat the process with the remaining layers.  Top with the peaked meringue.

Note: The meringue mixture needs to be baked right away to avoid deflation. If you have a small oven that cannot fit all of the trays at once, divide the meringue ingredients in half and cook it in two batches.  Use one half for the two largest circles, and use the second half for the remaining circles.  The tree is best assembled right before serving.  It is not suitable for freezing.

What will you be serving as a dessert this Christmas?  We love seeing your creations in the kitchen. Don't forget to tag us with #CookingForSIBO or #TheHealthyGut so we can find your photos and videos. And we always love to hear what you think of our recipes.  If you enjoyed our Christmas meringue tree recipe, let us know in the comments below.