Quite possibly the most iconic Australian dessert, the perfect pavlova is a crisp meringue exterior that’s light and airy on the inside. We’ve whipped up the summer classic using seasonal berries and passionfruit for a show-stopping, crowd-pleaser.

Preparation: 10 mins Cook time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

Pavlova

• 200g passionfruit – about 6-8 passionfruit
• 250g mascarpone, stirred to loosen
• 300g raspberries
• 100g strawberries, finely sliced
• 4 egg whites, set yolks aside for curd
• Pinch of salt
• 225g caster sugar
• 4 tsp cornflour
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 2 drops of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of freeze-dried raspberries (optional)

Curd

• 125g butter
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• 4 egg yolks

To assemble

• 100g blueberries/mulberries

Method

1. 1. Preheat oven to 150C (fan/convection) or 170C (standard).
   2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Draw a circle that’s around 20cm in diameter.
   3. Separate the egg white from the yolk while it’s cold, then set aside for it to come to temperature.
   4. Whisk egg whites in a bowl until soft peaks form (approximately. 10 minutes).
   5. Add sugar in one tablespoon at a time.
   6. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and meringue looks thick and glossy. (If you rub a bit of meringue between your fingers, it shouldn’t feel grainy).
   7. Add cornflour, vinegar and vanilla extract and whisk until just mixed through.
   8. If using freeze-dried raspberries, fold in gently.

1. Scoop out meringue and place onto the baking paper within the circle.
2. Transfer baking tray into the oven, lower heat to 100C (fan/convection) / 115C (standard) for 1 hr 30 minutes or until pavlova is dry to the touch.
3. Turn off oven and leave the door ajar to cool completely. You could also allow it to cool overnight then assemble the next day.
4. To make the curd – in a bowl, mix sugar with egg yolk, then set aside.
5. In a medium saucepan, melt butter.
6. Add egg mixture over low heat, stirring for 10-15 minutes until curd thickens. Set aside and allow to cool.
7. To assemble, top with mascarpone, curd, passionfruit and summer berries.

Tips for a perfect pavlova

• Separate the eggs when they’re cold for ease, then bring up to room temperature to allow the pavlova to fluff up.
• Be careful to not drop any yolk in the whites as it can prevent the pavlova from fluffing up.
• Even though pavlova’s a summer dessert, it’s no friend of heat and humidity as it can cause the pavlova to collapse during or after baking.
• Don’t make the pavlova too tall (unless it’s in winter) as it can collapse and crack.
• Do not open the oven while it cooks as it will cause pavlova to collapse.