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Black Forest wreath recipe

Black Forest wreath recipe

13 ratings

No festive celebration is complete without a show-stopping dessert and this Black Forest wreath is a centrepiece that's sure to impress. Crisp, chewy meringue is drizzled with dark chocolate, a fruity compote and scattered with caramelised nuts and chocolate curls. What's more, this dessert is gluten-free, so there's no need to miss out on a delicious pud this Christmas. See method

  • Serves 10
  • 40 mins to prepare and 1 hr 30 mins to cook, plus chilling
  • 441 calories / serving
  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten-free

Ingredients

  • 6 egg whites
  • 350g caster sugar
  • 2 tsp cornflour
  • 2 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 100g dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly (see tip)

For the compote and toppings

  • 50g white chocolate, melted
  • 100ml orange juice
  • 1 tsp cornflour
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 200g fresh or frozen pitted cherries
  • pinch ground cinnamon
  • pinch ground cloves
  • 300ml double cream, whipped to soft peaks
  • 50g Tesco Finest mixed nuts, roughly chopped

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    1850kj
    441kcal     22%

  • Fat

    22g 31%

  • Saturates

    12g 62%

  • Sugars

    59g 66%

  • Salt

    0.5g 9%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 60.7g Protein 4g Fibre 0.9g

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to gas 1, 140°C, fan 120°C. Line a baking tray with nonstick baking paper and mark out a circle measuring 25cm in diameter in the middle.
  2. Whisk the egg whites into stiff peaks, then add the sugar a tbsp at a time, until the meringue is shiny and stiff. Sift in the cornflour and pour over the vinegar, then whisk gently to combine. Whip until the meringue forms stiff peaks.
  3. Gently drizzle over 1 tbsp of the cooled dark chocolate. Don’t stir it in with the meringue as you want a marbled effect. Spoon large, equal dollops of the meringue mix around the circle to form a wreath shape. Bake for 1½ hours, until it comes away from the paper easily. Leave to cool. It can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
  4. Meanwhile, pour the remaining melted dark chocolate onto a baking sheet and spread evenly with a palette knife. Chill for 10-20 mins, until set but not hard. On a separate baking sheet, repeat with the white chocolate. 
  5. To make the compote, put the orange juice, cornflour, caster sugar, cherries and spices in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until thick. Leave to cool.
  6. Remove both trays of chocolate from the fridge. To make the chocolate curls, carefully drag a large knife across the surface of the chocolate at a 90° angle so it scrapes off a thin curl. Transfer to a tray. Repeat with the remaining white and dark chocolate, and store in the fridge.
  7. To serve, spoon the whipped cream over the wreath. Drizzle over the cooled compote and scatter over the chocolate curls and nuts. 

Tip: A good way of melting chocolate is to put it in a heatproof bowl over a pan of just simmering water. Heat until melted, stirring occasionally.

See more Adventurous Christmas baking ideas 

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