Berry Awesome Pavlova

I've been told this is a killer recipe. I don't know what exactly the "right way" to make a pav is, but I know what I like.

First of all, the meringue base has to be crisp on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside.

Second, the entire thing can't be too sweet and cloying.

And third, the cream must be freshly made and lavishly scented with vanilla.

That is a perfect pavlova in my insane little world.

I've seen people go into orgasmic spasms as the bite through the layers of crisp, chewy, creamy, sweet, perfumed and tangy. Oh... My... Gawd... Gimme gimme gimme...

• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh assorted berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries etc)
• 2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste

Preheat to 110C. Line a baking pan with parchment or greaseproof paper.

Using electric mixer, beat egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in large bowl until soft peaks form. Beat in vanilla and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. No idea what a stiff peak is? Haha... try some dirty talk or click here.

Spoon meringue onto prepared baking sheet in a mound, and smooth into a circle. Using a spoon, make an indentation in the centre. This will help hold lots of the yummy cream filling.

Now, the trick to getting a perfect crisp and soft meringue is the temperature. Bake the base for 1 hour 10 minutes at 110C, then crank up the heat to 150C for another 20 minutes.

No, I don't care that my meringue isn't perfectly white. I actually like the caramelly taste of a slighty browned outside, and I like a crispy shell and not a homogenous pillow of spongy fluff. If you can't tell the difference in texture of the meringue and cream, then something is really f**ked up. And I don't care if Cordon Bleu or Aussies say it's wrong. It's my goddamn recipe.

And, DO NOT open the oven door while the meringue is baking or you'll have to deal with a collapsed mess.

For the whipped cream, beat cream, sugar and vanilla paste until soft peaks form. Prep berries, wash, slice, yada yada...

Place the cooled meringue base on a plate or cake board. Lovingly spoon whipped cream into center of the meringue, then arrange berries artfully on top.