Pavlova

Pavs are deceptively easy to make and taste gorgeous. Best on a warm summer's day with fruit and ice cream. I made this one for my Dad's birthday ...

Ingredients
4 egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 teaspoon white vinegar
300 ml thickened cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon icing sugar

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 120 degrees C (100 degrees fan-forced).
2. Line baking tray with baking paper and mark out an 18 cm circle (trace around a cake tin).
3. Beat egg whites in small bowl with a mixer until soft Alp-like peaks form.

4. Gradually add caster sugar, beating until sugar dissolves before adding more.
5. Fold in cornflour and vinegar.
6. Spread meringue on circle on tray. This is difficult to manage and you might need a spare pair of hands to hold the bowl for you. Try not to squash it, rather lift it up and towards the centre.

7. Place in oven and bake for about an hour and a quarter.
8. When ready, turn oven off and leave pav to cool inside with the oven door open.
9. Serve with beaten cream (add cream, vanilla, 1 tablespn icing sugar and beat), ice cream, passionfruit, mango, strawberries, raspberries, banana ...

The pav was supposedly called pavlova because it is as light as the Ballets Russes dancer Anna Pavlova. Anna also has a pretty rose named after her.