Pavlova - Check!

Yesterday was a big day for me, I crossed not only one, but two items off of my Food List Challenge. One of those items was Pavlova. To be honest I've always wanted to try it! I mean what's not to love? Meringue, whip and fresh fruit?! Not only is it very yummy, and not only does it look quite fancy and gorgeous, but it's actually quite simple to make. My recipe came from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

• 4 Egg Whites
• 1 1/4 cups White Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice
• 2 tsps Cornstarch
• 1 pint of heavy cream (I replaced with 2 packs of prepared Dream Whip)
• 6 kiwi, peeled and sliced (I replace with a few handfuls of Blueberries)

Instructions

1) Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F. Next line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use the base of a 9-inch cake pan to trace a circle on the paper - do not make the mistake I did and cut it out, that is unless of course you want a ring of dried on meringue stuck to one of your best cookies sheets... *sigh* I digress.

2) In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Careful not to over-beat otherwise they will start to liquify (this may have also happened to me... not my finest day in the kitchen! ha). Once your egg whites are stiff, gradually add the sugar, approximately a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until thick and glossy.

so glossy and perfect :)

3) Gently fold in the vanilla, lemon juice and cornstarch.

4) Spoon mixture inside the circle you've drawn on parchment paper. Working from the centre, spread mixture toward the outside edge, building the edge slightly. This will leave a slight depression in the centre.

pretty sure it's supposed to have more volume at this stage!

5) Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack.

6) In the meantime, prepare the whipped cream. Place meringue on flat serving plate and fill the centre with the whipped cream. Top with fruit of choice!

Oh and let's not forget the photographic evidence that I ate this beautiful concoction!

nom nom nom!