Fabienne Viner-Luzzato’s summer berry crown pavlova is a real standout showstopper of a dessert that makes the most of gorgeous seasonal berries. If you love the look but don’t have time to bake the meringues, you could make it with bought mini meringues.

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 100°C, and line an oven tray with baking parchment.

• To prepare the meringue, beat the egg whites in a large bowl with electric beaters or in a stand mixer, (making sure the bowl is grease-free) until very firm (stiff peak).

• Add the sugar — a tablespoon at a time — beating back to stiff peak consistency between each addition.

• Using a piping bag with a star nozzle, pipe mini meringues of about 1 cm diameter.

• Bake for one hour, until crisp and light. They should peel easily off the baking parchment. Cool on the oven tray set on a wire rack.

• While they are in the oven, pour the double cream into a large bowl and beat with electric beaters until it holds its shape. Be careful not to take it too far — you want it to be like a Chantilly cream, fluffy and light, but not too firm like butter.

• Spoon the cream into a large piping bag (with the same nozzle used for the meringues) and refrigerate until ready to use.

• When the mini meringues are fully cooled, remove them from the oven tray and arrange them in a large circle on a large round flat serving plate, leaving space to alternate with the fruits and  cream. Once the meringues are arranged, intersperse them with the berries and pipe the cream (in 1cm teardrop shapes) between them.

• Serve immediately.

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First published in the JC July 28 2022