CHRISTMAS PAVLOVA
Ingredients
- 6 large free-range egg whites
- 350g/12oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 600ml/20fl oz double cream
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 50g/1¾oz icing sugar
- sifted
- 200g/7oz strawberries
- hulled and quartered
- 300g/10½oz raspberries
- 200g/7oz blueberries
- 50g/1¾oz pomegranate seeds
- a few mint leaves
- to decorate (optional)
- icing sugar
- for dusting
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and draw a 30cm/12in circle in the middle of the paper. Draw a 15cm/6in circle in the centre of the larger circle to make a ring.
- Put the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Gradually add the sugar a little at a time
- whisking on maximum speed until they are stiff and glossy. Mix the vinegar and cornflour in a cup until smooth
- then stir into the egg whites.
- Spoon the meringue onto the ring drawn on the baking parchment. Using a large spoon make a shallow trench in the meringue for the cream and fruit to sit in.
- Transfer to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 140C/120C Fan/Gas 1. Bake for 1 hour–1 hour 15 minutes
- until the outside is hard but still white. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlova inside for an hour or overnight to cool and dry.
- To assemble
- whip the cream
- vanilla paste and icing sugar until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed. Spoon the cream into the trench in the meringue. Arrange the strawberries
- raspberries
- blueberries and pomegranate on top and decorate with a few mint leaves
- if using. To serve
- dust with icing sugar and cut into wedges.

