Pavlova

Ingredients:
3 egg whites
1 pinch of salt
1 cup of white sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp lemon juice
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 pint fresh strawberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line pan with parchment paper. Draw a 9 inch diameter circle on the parchment with pencil (it is easiest to trace a circle around a 9 inch pan). In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup of sugar gradually, as you are whipping the ingredients. Make sure sugar is completely dissolved. Mix together the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar with cornstarch. Lightly fold into meringue with lemon juice. Spread a layer of the meringue to fit into the circle drawn on the parchment (approximately 1/4 inch thick). With remainder of mixture, spoon swirls around the edges to form a shallow bowl shape. Bake for 1 hour. Turn off oven, but leave meringue in oven for an additional 30 minutes. When cool, the meringue should be hard on the outside, and slightly moist on the inside. In a large bowl, combine the cream and half a cup of confectioners sugar. Whip until thickened. Decorate with strawberries on top.

This yummy New Zealand (sorry, Aussies, it was developed in NZ) marshmallowy confection was developed for the legendary Russian prima ballerina, Pavlova. My dear friend, New Zealander, Susan, introduced it to me years ago - and I haven't stopped making it since!

Submitted by Chef Donna