Christmas Meringue Wreath recipe

by Metropol | December 10, 2025 8:30 am

From North Canterbury foodie and author Angela Clifford, this Christmas Meringue Wreath from her book The Food Farm is the perfect blend of wow and yum. It serves eight to 12, Angela says – based on the size of your Christmas meal leading up to dessert.

INGREDIENTS MERINGUE

• 6 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice

TOPPING

• 2 cups cream
• 3 cups mixed fresh berries
• Large sprig of lemon verbena or greenery to decorate

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (not fan bake).
2. Draw a 26cm circle on a piece of baking paper. Inside that draw a 10cm circle. This is the template for your wreath. Turn the baking paper over before placing on the baking tray, so the ink doesn’t combine with your meringue.
3. Whisk the egg whites until they’re soft peaks. Continue to beat, adding the sugar a tablespoon or two at a time until it has dissolved – the mixture will be thick and glossy at this point. Add the lemon juice and beat for a further 1-2 minutes.
4. Drop heaped tablespoons of the meringue between the two circles, making sure the dollops touch each other to form the wreath. Gently push the tops down with the back of the spoon to form indents that the cream will eventually sit in.
5. Put the meringue in the oven, turning it down to 130°C as you do. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours until lightly golden and crisp on the outside, and then turn off the oven, leaving the meringue inside to cool completely.
6. To serve, whip the cream until thick and dollop it over the wreath. Arrange the berries over the top of the cream, ensuring a good spread of different types. It doesn’t matter if they spill over the edge; this just adds to the sense of abundance. Add the greenery to the bottom of the wreath. You can also add more fresh berries as an accompaniment.

Source URL: https://metropol.co.nz/meringue-wreath/

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