This is a festive way to end any braai. Crisp and chewy vanilla meringue PAVLOVA topped with whipped cream, frozen berries, chopped pistachios for crunch and a sweet white chocolate drizzle. What’s not to love?
SERVES 8
180 g fresh cherries
180 g fresh blueberries
125 g fresh raspberries
about 6 egg whites (225 ml) at room temperature
330 g castor sugar
2 tsp cornflour
1½ tsp white vinegar
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod
½ tsp salt
1 cup whipping cream
50 g white chocolate, melted
25 g pistachios, finely chopped
1. Place the berries in a single layer on a baking tray, then place in the freezer for a few hours or overnight until frozen.
2. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
3. Place the egg whites in the clean and dry bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until stiff peaks form. Add the castor sugar one tablespoon at a time at 30-second intervals. Once all the sugar has been added, scrape down the sides with a spatula and whisk for another 5 minutes until the mixture is stiff and glossy.
4. Place the vinegar and cornflour in a small bowl and mix to combine. Add the vinegar mixture, vanilla seeds and salt to the egg white mixture and mix for another 2 minutes until combined.
5. Draw a 22 cm circle on a sheet of parchment or baking paper and place, pencil side down, on a large baking tin. Place heaped spoonfuls of the meringue mixture inside the circle, creating a crater by making the sides higher than the middle.
6. Place in the oven, reduce the temperature to 120°C and bake for 1 ½ hours. Turn off the oven and allow the pavlova to cool completely in the oven.
7. To serve, spoon the whipped cream on top, fill the middle with the frozen cherries and scatter the other frozen berries on top. Drizzle the pavlova with the melted chocolate and sprinkle with the pistachios. Serve immediately.
