Fantasy Pavlova

• 6 egg whites, at room temperature
• pinch of salt
• 1½ cups caster sugar
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp vinegar

Topping:

• 1 cup Berry Compote
• 3 punnets fresh mixed berries, eg raspberries, blueberries and hulled and halved strawberries

To make a pavlova you really need an electric beater and egg whites that are not too fresh. If they are the pavlova will weep.

Heat the oven to 180°C (not fanbake). Line a baking tray with baking paper and mark a circle about 16cm diameter with a plate. Place the egg whites into the clean bowl of an electric beater. Add the salt and beat until stiff. Slowly add the sugar with the beater running. Beat for about 10 minutes at high speed until the meringue is thick and glossy – it should be thick enough not to fall from the beater. Last of all, whisk in the cornflour and vinegar. Use a big spoon to drop dollops of meringue into the circled area of baking paper. Form into a circle of meringue, making swirls with the spoon on the top rather than flattening to a neat tidy disc.

Bake at 180°C for 5 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 130°C and cook a further hour. Turn off oven and leave pavlova to cool in the oven.

Pavlova can be cooked a couple of days ahead and stored in an airtight container, or frozen. To serve, spoon Berry Compote over pavlova and scatter over mixed berries.