Summer Fruit Pavlova

Summer Fruit Pavlova

Usually the pinnacle of my dessert making consists of ice cream with berries or occasionally a pie, but every now and again I get a wild hare to make something different. Since I had a plethora of summer fruit lying around that needed to be used up and pie sounded like too much work, I settled on this Pavlova. One thing to note about Pavlova is the meringue base can be made 2-3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container. Once you put the filling a fruit on it, you’ll need to serve it fairly soon afterwards or you’ll end up with soggy meringue. But goodness, isn’t it pretty?

For the Meringue
4 egg whites at room temperature
1 cup superfine sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Filling
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp sugar
4 cups mixed summer fruit such as cherries, peaches, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, nectarines
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Draw an 8-inch circle on a piece of parchment paper. Flip the paper over so that the pencil marking is on the underside, place it on a cookie sheet, and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, beat your egg whites together until foamy. On medium speed, add in your sugar a little bit at a time. Increase your speed to high and continue beating for about 3 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Fold in your cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Stir just until combined.
Spoon your meringue into the circle on your parchment paper. Using the back of your spoon, press gently down in the center to make a shallow well. Bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until dry to the touch. With the oven turned off and the door ajar, leave your meringue in the oven to cool completely, up to six hours or overnight.
Shortly before you are ready to serve your dessert, prepare your filling by whipping your heavy cream and 1 tablespoon sugar together until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.
Gently mix your summer fruit and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add sugar if needed.
When ready to serve, put your meringue on a lovely plate or cake stand. Spoon whipped cream into the well and top with the summer fruit mix. Cut into pie slices and enjoy.

YIELD: 6-8 slices