Mixed Berries Pavlova

There is a big debate as to whether the origin of Pavlova is Australian , Russian or from New Zealand. No matter what, this is a beautiful dessert that you can easily impress your guests with. It might look intricate but a very easy one to tackle as long as you use the proper technique of beating the egg whites and adjust your oven to the recommended heat. You can serve it with other fruits of your choice. The original recipe I had, called for 1 cup of sugar, I cut it to 3/4 and thought it was sweet enough. There are other recipes with cream of tartar . This one without the cream of tartar has worked well for me (second time I made it) that's why I stick to this recipe.

INGREDIENTS :
4 egg whites at room temperature
3/4 cup of sugar
a pinch of salt
1 tsp of cornstarch
2 tsp of white vinegar
1 tsp of vanilla extract

TOPPING:
2 cups of whipping cream
2 tbs sugar
Fruits of your choice - In this case mixed berries

IMPORTANT MEASURES:
Heat oven at 300 degrees C- Once Pavlova is in, reduce to 250 degrees C
Place a grease proof paper on a baking tray


METHOD :
Beat egg whites and salt with an electric mixer until soft peaks form
Add the sugar slowly (a tablespoon at a time ) and continue to beat until thick and glossy (for 2-3 mins)
Add cornstarch, vinegar and vanilla extract and fold into the egg mixture
Now with a spatula , spoon mixture into a circle on your greaseproof paper(make it around 8 inches or so)
Place tray in the oven and immediately reduce heat to 250 degrees
Bake for 1 hour
Turn off heat
Allow to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar

Once completely cool :
Whip cream with 2 tbs of sugar until thick
Spread gently on Pavlova cake
Decorate with fruits
and VOILA !