Pavlova - Summers dream

I have tried making this many many times and always I fail. My own fault as I cannot help but want to add chopped nuts to the very very delicate eggs white and sugar mix that makes up this simple, beautiful and mouth watering dessert. It is my husbands childhood favorite and therefore I am now trying to make it once more, on our 1 year wedding anniversary.

I have looked up many recipes and finally i have found one that has worked! very important it to use a steel instruments while handling the egg mix, no humidity or dust can be on any equipment or this egg mix will fail. Also the sugar cannot be large grained, the finer the less risk you run of failing.

Pavlova for 4:
3 egg whites
2 3/4 dl sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp vanilla sugar
2 dl berries of choice
2-3 dl whipped cream

1. Pre heat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Whisk the egg whites till stiff. Very important is to make sure the bowl and whisk you use are both metal and dry. The egg white cannot have a trace of egg yolk in it.

3. Slowly add the sugar, while continuing to whisk.

4. Continue to whisk for another 2-3 min so that the sugar grains melt into the egg white and the mix becomes silky and almost shinny.
5. Add the lemon juice and 1 tbsp vanilla sugar. Whisk till all has been mixed and blended.

6. Spread the meringue mix onto baking paper. Or in my case as I didnt have any baking paper I used a cake tin and spread butter onto the bottom of the form and then hazelnut flour to make sure the meringue would not stick to the tin form.
7. Once the meringue goes into the oven turn the heat down to 175 degrees Celcius and leave to cook for 30min. Then turn off the oven and leave the meringue to after cook for another 30min-1 hour.

8. Once ready to serve whip the cream and add 1 tbsp vanilla sugar. Add the shipped cream to the top of the meringue and then the berries on top.

I served this meringue with whipped cream, sweetened with vanilla sugar and some rhubarb strawberry compote. YUM!