Squidgy Chestnut & Baileys Meringue Cake!

The mountain of turkey is subsiding, television is slipping back into it's dreary state and everyone's feeling a bit of the post-Christmas blues as the last of the snow melts away.

Very proud of my deliciously christmassy dessert!

So what better time to concoct a sticky, delectable and rich pudding to bring back a bit of festive cheer?

Despite having had my thyroid operation just before Christmas, I had been dying to try this recipe out for a while.

I first saw this meringue and cream concotion in Phil Vickery's "Seriously Good Gluten Free Cooking" book (see the Turkey Burgers I made from this book earlier in the year - yummy!) but unfortunately managed to leave the book in my uni house!

After some searching on the internet and some improvisation - this is what I managed to come up with on Christmas day - and it's delicious!

Mine has kept for several days and is definitely guaranteed to bring some festive cheer back before the New Year!

Enough to feed an army!

Squidgy Chestnut & Baileys Meringue Cake

4 medium egg whites
230g caster sugar
1 tsp cornflour
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp white wine vinegar
500ml double cream
150g boiled and peeled tinned chestnuts

2 tbsps water (room temperature)
200ml Irish cream liqueur (such as Baileys)

1. Preheat the oven to Gas ½ (half) pr 130'C
2. Place the egg whites in a bowl and whisk until light and foamy.
3. Add half the sugar and continue to whisk until glossy and firm (stiff peaks!)
4. When firm and glossy, add the rest of the sugar and bring together (whisk at a slow speed) for about a minute
5. Fold in the cornflower, white wine vinegar and vanilla extract
6. Spread the mixture onto a swiss-roll tin which has been lined with baking paper and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the oven
7. Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
8. Cut the meringue into 3 even sized pieces and allow to cool completely
9. Meanwhile, place the chestnuts in a blender, ground to a fine powder then add the water gradually to create a paste.
10. Place the chestnut paste, the Irish liqueur (Baileys) and double cream in a mixing bowl and whisk together until thick. Tip - the colder the mixture is, the better it will thicken so be careful in a hot kitchen!
11. Spread the cream onto one of the meringue pieces, top with another, and continue so it is stacked as in the picture above.
12. You can leave the pudding to soften for a few hours if desired but I preferred to eat this straight away whilst the meringue is stil crunchy!
13. Dust with icing sugar or some of the chestnut powder (before adding the water!) if desired to serve.