Make the most of summer’s finest berries with this simple yet stunning pavlova served on the Cole & Mason Portobello board. Egg whites are whipped with sugar until thick and glossy, then piped into a crown-like shape before being baked low and slow to create a crisp, delicate shell with a soft, marshmallow-like centre.
Once cooled, the pavlova is topped with a generous layer of the season’s best berries and finished with chopped pistachios for a delicious nutty crunch. Edible flowers are optional, but they transform this dessert into a truly show-stopping centrepiece that’s guaranteed to impress.
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs
- 275g caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1.5 tsp cornflour
- 330ml double cream
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- 125g blackberries, washed
- 200g strawberries, washed and tops taken off
- 200g cherries, washed
- A handful of crushed or sliced pistachios
- Edible flowers, optional
Method
- Begin by separating the eggs and placing the whites in a large, clean bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Whisk the whites either with an electric hand whisk or in a stand mixer until they form soft peaks.
- Add the caster sugar 1/4 at a time, fully incorporating it before adding the next lot.
- Keep whisking until stiff peaks form, then add the cornflour and vanilla extract, and whisk to combine. Transfer to a piping bag.
- Preheat the oven to 130c. Grease and line a flat baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut a 1.5 inch opening in the piping bag and pipe a circle of mounds each that touch the ones next to it. The circle should be about 25cm in diameter. Fill the circle with more meringue, then swirl with a knife to connect everything.
- Place the meringue in the oven and bake for 1.5 hours, then turn off the oven and allow the meringue to cool in the oven for at least an hour.
- Whisk the cream with the icing sugar until medium peaks form and place in a piping bag.
- Place the meringue on your board and pipe the cream in the centre, then smooth out with a spoon or palette knife. Dot the berries evenly atop the cream, then scatter over the pistachios and finally place on a few edible flower petals before serving.
