Cherry Pavlova

To me pavlova would have to be one of my all-time favourite desserts - so light and fluffy, so sweet and in general - so easy to make! Now I say 'in general' because there are a few areas where people go wrong. Firstly you need to be sure that when you are beating your egg whites that the bowl and whisk attachment are perfectly clean and dry - otherwise you won't be able to get those lovely stiff white peaks. Secondly you need to make sure that the oven is turned down nice and low so that you don't burn your meringue. And thirdly - don't open the oven door! The heat that escapes from the oven each time you open that door will mean that the element turns on, therefore you risk browning the pavlova. So if you avoid all of the usual traps you shouldn't have a problem baking your pavlova and you should have a very tasty dessert for very little effort.

Pavlova
Serves 6-8

4 egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar plus 2 tbsps
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp white vinegar

1. Beat egg whites until stiff but not too dry.
2. Add sugar 2 tbsp at a time.
3. Add cornflour, vinegar and vanilla and beat for 1 minute.
4. Put onto a lined tray and smooth into a circle.
5. Cook at 110C fan forced for 1.5 hours.

Cherry Syrup (from Margaret Fulton)

250g fresh cherries, stones removed
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cold water

1. Cook cherries, sugar and water on a medium heat for 5 minutes or until cherries are soft.
2. Puree in a blender, rub through a sieve.
3. Return to a saucepan and cook on a high heat for another 5 minutes, until thick and syrupy.

Assembling

450ml thickened cream, whipped
1kg fresh cherries, stones removed

1. Place pavlova on a serving plate and cover with whipped cream.
2. Decorate with whole cherries and cherry syrup.