Chocolate and espresso pavlova with fennel roasted grapes

This year I’m giving coffee centre stage on the Christmas dessert table. I firmly believe coffee shouldn’t just be an afterthought to accompany dessert, it should be the dessert – but aside from that, it just makes sense.

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That sofa is practically asking you to nap on it after you’ve eaten an entire month’s worth of food for Christmas lunch, so you’re going to need all the caffeine you can get to survive more games, more wine and, well, more food.

Not only does this pavlova have an indulgent chocolatey caffeine kick, it’s also the perfect make-ahead showstopper for any dinner party over the festive period. You can bake the bases up to three days in advance and keep them in an airtight container, then when you’re ready to serve it simply roast the grapes, whip the cream and assemble… leaving you more time for you to eat, drink and be merry!

Ingredients For the meringue

6 egg whites (240g) 480g caster sugar 1tbsp cocoa powder

For the roasted grapes