Summer Berry Pavlova

This summer berry pavlova is a crowd-pleaser and quite simple to make. You can even make this the day before so you don't have to stress about baking on the day, and you can focus on the assembly!

Serves- 6-8
Ingredients- 7
Cooking Time- 30 minutes (bake the day before)
Skill Level- Easy

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 1 tsp of lemon juice or vinegar
• 1 cup of caster sugar
• 300ml of thickened cream
• ½ cup of your choice of berry jam with a dash of warm water to turn it more saucy.
• 2 cups worth of your choice of berries: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, blueberries etc
• 3 sprigs of mint, for garnishing

Method

Bake your pavlova the day before so it has time to dry out and cool. Also so you don’t have to stress out about baking the day of, and can just assemble and decorate just before serving!

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. 
2. Place 4 egg whites and 1 tsp of lemon juice into a clean mixing bowl and whisk for 5 minutes or until soft peaks form.
3. Gradually add 1 cup of sugar into the mixture until stiff peaks form and the meringue holds its shape when the bowl is turned upside down.
4. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Use a large bowl approx. 20cm in diameter and using a pen or pencil, trace around the bowl onto the paper so you have two large circles. This will help you create two even pavlova bases.
5. Using a spatula, divide the mixture into two and place onto the two circles on the tray.
6. Bake in the oven at 140 degrees Celsius for at least 1 hour. Then turn off the oven and continue to leave the pavlova in the oven overnight. This process allows the meringue to completely dry out giving you a nice crispy texture.
7. Whip 300ml of thickened cream until medium peaks form and the cream maintains its shape when spread.
8. Assemble the pavlova by placing one pavlova base onto a platter, then spread half of the cream over the top, then add a few spoonful's of jam and one cup of berries. Repeat with the second base, the rest of the cream, jam and berries. 
9. Garnish with optional mint leaves.
10. Serve and enjoy immediately!