Cherry Pavlova

Cherries, Jenny Morris

  • For the meringue¹

Ingredients

Meringue

  • 4 egg whites
  • 200g of caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or rose essence
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 pinch of salt

The Cherries

  • 150ml of water
  • 300g pitted cherries
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 30g of caster sugar
  • Make the cherry filling while the meringue is in the oven.
  • Place the water, cherries, lemon juice and caster sugar into a saucepan, bring to boil over a medium low heat.
  • Simmer for about 10 minutes.
  • Strain the cherries and keep the syrup separate to drizzle over the meringue later.

The Filling

  • 500ml whipping cream whipped to stiff peaks.

The Garnish

  • Whole cherries on the stalk dusted with gold dust.

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 150°C
  2. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until it has all been incorporated, whisking for a few seconds between each addition.
  3. Add the vinegar, vanilla extract or rose essence and salt and whisk in.
  4. You should have a nice glossy, stiff mixture.
  5. Draw a circle onto a sheet of grease-proof paper approximately 28cm in diameter and place it onto a baking tray.
  6. Spoon the meringue onto the paper in one heap, then gently spread out, making a crater in the middle to hold the filling
  7. Bake the meringue for 1 hour, then turn off the oven and leave the meringue inside to cool completely with the door slightly ajar.

Assembly

  1. Spoon the whipped cream into the hollow of the meringue.
  2. Top with the cooked cherries, drizzle with remaining syrup and garnish with lots of fresh gold dusted cherries.