Paula's Prodigious Pavlova

Ok well its not really mine it's Nigellas but I am sure she won't mind! I am a big meringue fan, I love seeing it in any form on a menu and I never have a celebration in my house without serving it. This version I think though is my favourite. Gorgeous marshmallow textured meringue, softly whipped cream and some berries. So simple but yet impressive. It's easy to get a pavlova wrong but this is simple, promise!

Ingredients

8 large egg whites
500g caster sugar
4tsp corn flour
2tsp white wine vinegar
1/2tsp vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees
Whisk egg whites until soft peaks form
Add in sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until stiff
Fold in with a metal spoon the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla gently until combined
Draw a 20cm circle on parchment and use as guideline to spoon meringue onto
Smooth top and sides with a palette knife
Place in oven and immediately drop temperature to 120 degrees
Leave for 1 hour and allow to cool fully in oven

To decorate

300ml cream
Selection of berries
Few mint leaves

Softly whip the cream and spread over the cooled meringue base
Decorate with berries of your choice, I used a punnet of blueberries and a punnet of blackberries
Arrange the mint leaves for a extra dash of colour
Slice, eat, sigh in that order! Heavenly!