A spectacular dessert for Christmas Day.

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• pinch cream of tartar
• 1½ cups icing sugar, sifted
• ½ teaspoon almond essence
• ½ cup chopped pistachio nuts

Pistachio nut toffee

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• ¾ cup pistachio nuts
• 2 punnets strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 300 ml bottle cream, whipped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 120ºC. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper and mark out 6 rounds in the following diameters, 5cm, 8cm, 10cm, 12cm, 15cm and 17-18cm (they will all fit on 2 trays). Bring a saucepan half-filled with water to the boil.
2. With a hand-held electric mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a heat-proof bowl until the mixture forms soft peaks. Begin slowly at first and then increase the speed once the egg whites have formed a froth.
3. Sit the bowl on the saucepan of simmering water and add the icing sugar and beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick and glossy. Remove from the heat and beat a further 2 minutes until the mixture cools a little. Beat in the essence and stir in the pistachio nuts. Divide the mixture evenly among the circles, spreading out to make even-shaped rounds.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 1½ hours or until very dry, changing the racks around after 1 hour to ensure the discs cook evenly. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues to cool completely in the oven.
5. Layer the discs together beginning with the largest at the base and leaving the smallest for the top, with whipped cream, pistachio nut toffee and strawberries. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Pistachio nut toffee

1. Stir the sugar and water together in a small saucepan over a low heat, until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until the sugar begins to turn a caramel brown colour around the edges. Remove from the heat and swirl the saucepan to even out the colour.
2. Pour over the pistachio nuts and set aside to cool and harden. Chop roughly and keep in an airtight container if not using immediately.