If you are in the throes of snow, a sweet pavlova can bring a blast of summer into your kitchen.

Pavlova is a huge family favorite around here. Type ‘Pavlova’ in the I Sing In The Kitchen search bar and you’ll see a whole bunch of variations.

Very Berry Pavlova is quite similar to the Mixed Berry Pavlova except today’s version has a vibrant strawberry-raspberry sauce to drizzle over the top. Delicious.

Very Berry Pavlova

Ingredients:

4 egg whites
250g caster sugar (about 1 heaped cup)
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp cornflour or cornstarch
400g strawberries, hulled and halved if large
300g raspberries
1 Tbs confectioners’ sugar
150g blueberries
300ml whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 150℃/300℉. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and draw a large circle in pencil approximately 25cm/10 inches in diameter. Turn the paper over.

2. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking between each addition until the mixture is smooth, thick and glossy.

3. Whisk the vinegar and cornflour into the egg white mixture.

4. Spread large spoonfuls of meringue on the parchment inside the circle until it is evenly filled.

5. Make a dip in the center of the meringue with the back of a spoon and raise up the sides a little.

6. Put the pavlova in the oven and bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, leave the door ajar and let the meringue cool completely.

7. To make the sauce, purée 75g of strawberries and 75g of the raspberries with the confectioners’ sugar, then sieve into a bowl to remove seeds.

8. Whip the cream and vanilla until soft peaks form.

9. Top the meringue circle with the cream, the remaining fruit, and berry sauce.

Serves 8

Recipe from Olive Magazine

My youngest always requests pavlova for his birthday.

‘Ball of String’, from Wales-based band The Minerals, is to quote “among several tracks written in a barn in the South of France last winter, where the band were unexpectedly snowed in for a week. A plentiful supply of wine and cheese kept them going until the thaw.”

Well that wine and cheese fueled a most excellent album.

Check out The Minerals on Facebook. You can buy their music on Bandcamp.

Cheers!