Swiss Meringue Discs & Kisses

• Heat the caster sugar and egg white together to 60°C in a mixing bowl over a Bain Marie.
• Remove from the heat and mix in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment to create a meringue.
• Fold through the sieved icing sugar and cornflour.
• Divide this mixture in half and place in separate bowls.
• Add the coconut and almonds to the meringue in one bowl and mix together. This mixture will create the discs, the other meringue is for the kisses.
• Trace circles in graduating sizes (2cm, 4cm, 6cm, 8cm, 10cm, 12cm, 14cm, 16cm and 18cm) onto a piece of baking paper that fits your tray. Trace two in each size.
• Spray some vegetable oil onto a tray. Flip the baking paper over and place it onto the greased tray.
• Transfer the meringue with the coconut and almonds into a piping bag fitted with a 10mm round nozzle. Pipe discs using the marked circles as a guide.
• Bake in the oven at 75˚C for 2 hours. If it is not crunchy or dried enough, bake further.
• To make the kisses, transfer the remaining meringue to a piping bag fitted with a 10mm round nozzle. Set aside some of the meringue to add colour to.
• Grease a tray with vegetable oil and place a sheet of baking paper on top.
• Pipe the kisses shape onto the baking paper, you should have approximately 230-250.
• Divide the remaining meringue into 3 bowls. Add a drop of colour to each bowl and mix with a spatula. Add more colour until you achieve the desired shade.
• Pipe the coloured meringue onto a sheet of baking paper on a greased tray. You should have approximately 15-20 kisses in each colour (red, yellow and green).
• Bake in the oven at 75˚C for 2 hours.
• Allow to cool.
• Boil the cream (A), caster sugar and honey together then pour over the roughly chopped dark chocolate and whisk to combine.
• Place the cream (B) into a bowl and semi-whip it until it has some body but still collapses.
• Fold the semi-whipped cream through the chocolate base with a spoon until combined.
• Cut the raspberries in half.
• Transfer the chocolate mousse to a piping bag fitted with a 10mm round nozzle.
• Prepare a cake board and pipe some of the chocolate mousse onto the board and place the largest meringue disc (18cm) on top of the board.
• Pipe a swirl of mousse on top of the disc.
• Place a few of the halved raspberries on top of the mousse.
• Add another 18cm disc on top.
• Add another layer of mousse and sprinkle some raspberries on top. Place the 16cm disc on top.
• Repeat this method until you complete the tree with the 2cm disc. While you are building the tree, ensure it is straight and not leaning to one side.
• Pipe a thin layer of mousse over the tree, in lines going from the bottom to the top of the tree.
• Assemble the kisses from the bottom of the tree, starting with the white and randomly adding a coloured one as you go.