• 4 large egg whites
• 200g caster sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon cornflour
• 240ml whipping cream
• 2 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar
• fresh fruit to decorate

Preheat the oven to 120 C / Gas 1/2. Line a baking tray with baking parchment, then draw an 18cm (7 in) circle (tip: use a bowl or a plate to trace the circle).

Beat the egg whites on medium speed till light and creamy and they have soft peaks. Switch to high speed and continue beating while adding the 200g sugar, one tablespoon at a time.

Continue beating until the mixture is stiff and shiny. Ensure that the sugar is fully dissolved and that the mixture doesn''t feel grainy; if still grainy, continue beating until smooth.

Beat in the vanilla. Remove the beaters and then sprinkle the mixture with vinegar and cornflour, then gently fold in with a spatula.

Spoon the meringue into the center of the circle drawn on the parchment. Using the back of a spoon, spread the meringue out to the edges.

Build up the edges slightly so that they''re higher than the center, which will make decorating your pavlova a lot easier!
Bake for 75 minutes in the preheated oven.

Then turn off the oven, prop the door slightly ajar and leave the pavlova to cool completely in the oven.

For the whipped cream:
In a clean stainless steel or glass bowl (chill the bowl in the fridge first for better whipping), beat the whipping cream to soft peaks.

Add the sugar and beat a little longer, but don''t overdo it! Spoon the whipped cream on top of the pavlova and spread to the edges.

To decorate:
You can use almost any combination of fresh fruits to top your pavlova. For an especially stunning presentation, try fresh berries and sugared rose petals.

To make the sugared rose petals, break off the petals of organic, unsprayed roses. Brush each petal with beaten egg white, then gently dredge in granulated sugar.

Set on a plate or piece of grease proof paper to dry. Place the fresh berries in the center of the pavlova on top of the whipped cream, then arrange the sugared rose petals around the edges. Dust with icing sugar and serve!

by Pak101.com (few years ago!) / 800 views