Spiced Christmas Meringue Parfait with Poached Pears

Method

For the parfait:

1. Place the egg whites into a clean mixing bowl and add the cream of tartar.
2. Place the whisk on the machine and whisk at high speed until thick and foamy, probably 1-2 minutes.
3. Slow the machine down and sprinkle over the xylitol, then re whisk for 3-4 minutes until thick and glossy.
4. Add the mixed spice to the lightly whipped double cream and fold in.
5. Add the finished meringue to the lightly whipped cream and gently fold in.
6. Spoon into a container or bowl, cover with cling film and freeze until firm, for the best consistency I reckon about 6 hours. If left overnight you may need to remove from the freezer and pop in the fridge for 1 hour to soften slightly before eating
7. When serving you may need to remove the parfait from the freezer 10 minutes before serving to soften slightly.
8. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop into balls or open curls and serve in bowls with the pears.

For the pears:

1. Top and tail the pears and peel them carefully with a peeler or sharp paring knife.
2. Cut each pear into quarters lengthways.
3. Remove any stalk and core with a sharp knife, then cut each quarter in two, lengthways. Once pears are prepared you should have 24 pieces of pear
4. Heat the oil and butter until foaming, and then add the vanilla, pears and xylitol, and gently sauté for 3-4 minutes, maybe longer if the pears are not fully ripe
5. Turn the pears occasionally to coat in the buttery juices. Do not overcook or the pears will become mushy.
6. Once cooked, dish up three pieces of pear per person and serve warm with the parfait.