Strawberry gum pavlova

Ingredients

Meringue

9 free-range egg whites
3 tsp boiling water
300g caster sugar
1 tsp white vinegar
2–3 tsp strawberry gum powder

Wattleseed cream

300ml cream
60g icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp wattleseed extract

To decorate

100g wild strawberries, riberries or muntries
Edible flowers

Method

Use a large bowl (about 20–25cm): turn it upside down on baking paper and trace its outline with a pencil. Place paper on baking tray.

Next, make the meringue. Place all of the ingredients into your mixing bowl and combine with the whisk attachment. Beat on high (9–10) for 10 minutes.

Pile the meringue into the circle on your baking paper and use a spatula to spread evenly to the edges. You can use an upward motion with a palette knife to decorate the edges and try to get a smooth top, which makes piling the cream easier (after the pav is baked). Rough and rustic is also fine.

Preheat the oven to 100°C. Bake for 1½ hours. Turn the tray halfway through. When cooked, turn off the oven and let pavlova crust cool completely in the oven before removing. If not serving within a few hours, wrap in cling wrap or store in an airtight container for up to three days.

Whip the cream with the icing sugar and wattleseed. Pile on the pavlova and decorate with the berries and flowers.