1. Preheat oven to 150°C
2. Place the eggwhite in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with your handmixer, and whisk until stiff peaks form (This is the part I’m talking about – if you do this before adding sugar, you’ll have a great marshmallow interior!). Gradually add the sugar, whisking well, until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Add the cornflour and vinegar and whisk until just combined. Shape the mixture into an 18cm round on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. (With a rubber spatula, shape your pavlova a bit higher and smaller than you want it to be – it’ll get slightly flatter and wider during baking. It doesn’t have to be 18cm, I didn’t measure mine.)
3. Reduce oven to 120°C and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow the pavlova to cool completely in the oven.
4. Decorate with your desired toppings only when ready to serve, or the meringue begins to ‘weep’. Otherwise, it can be stored in an airtight container for several days.
In this picture, I topped the pavlova with vanilla flavoured whipped cream and a mixed berry coulis since I didn’t have fresh berries!
I love that this dessert uses just one mixing bowl. Less cleaning is always a bonus. If any of you try the Donna Hay method and get that lovely fat marshmallow layer inside, firstly – YAY – and second, let me know.
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