Lighter Summer Pavlova Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Cover a large baking sheet with baking parchment and use a pencil to draw a 20cm circle in the middle. Turn the parchment over.
• For the meringue, mix together the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla, and set aside. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until the mixture stands in stiff peaks. Tip in 1 tsp of the caster sugar, beat for a few seconds, then carry on adding and whisking in the caster sugar, 1 tsp at a time - this will give you a thick, glossy mixture. Sift and gently fold in half the icing sugar with a large metal spoon. Add the rest of the icing sugar in the same way, being careful not to overmix. Fold in the reserved cornflour mixture.
• Secure the parchment with some meringue mixture (see tip) if you want. Dollop a couple of big spoonfuls of the mixture into the middle of the circle on the baking parchment, then spread it out gently to make a 15cm circular base, about 1.5cm thick. (At this point you can give the remaining meringue mixture a pink ripple effect, if you like, by briefly swirling some food colouring through it with a knife.)
• Place a large spoonful of meringue on the edge of your meringue base to come out to the edge of the pencil circle. Repeat with 7 more spoonfuls in the same way, creating the raised edging for the pavlova and leaving a wide hollow for the fruit and cream to go in later. Fill any gaps in the edging with a blob of meringue. Bake for 1 hr - if you gently tap the meringue, it should sound crisp. Turn off the oven but leave the meringue inside for 1 hr to cool gradually. Remove, carefully peel off the baking parchment and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Can be made up to three days ahead and stored in an airtight tin, or wrapped in foil.
• When you are ready to serve the pavlova, prepare the filling. Whisk the whipping cream to stiff peaks. Fold in the Greek yogurt, then the crème fraîche and sugar. Scatter half the strawberries, raspberries and blueberries onto the base of the meringue. Cut the passion fruits in half widthways, scoop out the pulp and seeds, and scatter over the berries. Spoon about half of the yogurt mixture on top. Scatter over some of the remaining berries, top this with more spoonfuls of the yogurt mix, then finish off with the rest of the berries. Dust lightly with icing sugar and a scattering of mint leaves, if you like. Serve straight away - if you leave it sitting for too long, the creamy filling and juicy fruits will cause the meringue to start to soften.

Steps:

• Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Using an 18cm round cake tin or plate as a guide, draw a circle on the parchment, then flip it over. Heat the oven to 130C/110C fan/gas ½.
• Rub the reserved lemon half around the inside of a large bowl or stand mixer, then wipe with kitchen paper to remove any butter or oil. Tip in the egg whites and whisk with an electric whisk or the mixer on a low speed until the whites form small, foamy bubbles, about 1-2 mins. Keep going until the mix looks like shaving foam, then add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until it's a thick, glossy meringue. Rub some between your fingers - if you can feel any grains of sugar, keep whisking for a few minutes. Add the cornflour, lemon juice and vanilla, and whisk for another 30 seconds.
• Spoon the meringue onto the baking parchment, into the centre of the circle, and spread it out to the edges with a palette knife. Swipe the knife around the edge, then smooth the top. Bake for 15 mins, then turn the oven down to 100C/80C fan/gas ¼ and bake for 1 hr. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlova inside to cool for at least 2 hrs, or overnight.
• When you're ready to serve, carefully invert the pavlova and peel away the parchment. Don't worry if it cracks a little - it will be covered by the toppings. Toppings to tryWatermelon, lime & mint sugar pavlovaBanana, tahini & salted caramel pavlovaCherry, almond & vanilla custard pavlova

Steps:

• If you're using fresh eggs and you have time, freeze the egg whites, then defrost completely (see tip, 'freeze for ease', below). Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment and heat the oven to 120C/100C fan/gas ½. Using a 20cm cake tin or plate as a guide, draw a circle on the parchment, then flip it over.
• Rub the reserved lemon half around the inside of a large bowl. Tip in the egg whites and whisk using an electric whisk until small, foamy bubbles form, about 1-2 mins. Continue to whisk until the egg whites resemble shaving foam, then add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until the meringue is thick and glossy. Rub a dab between your fingertips - if you can feel any grains of sugar, keep whisking for a few minutes more. Add the cornflour and lemon juice, then whisk for another 30 seconds.
• Spoon the meringue mix into the middle of the circle template, then use a palette knife to spread it out to fill the circle, creating a dip in the middle (this will hold the topping later). Run the palette knife up the edges at regular intervals to create ridges, if you like. Bake for 1 hr, then turn off the oven and leave the pavlova to cool completely with the door shut (if you can, leave it overnight).
• For the topping, tip the strawberries into a bowl, dust with the icing sugar and squeeze over a little lemon juice. Mix together and leave to stand for 30 mins. Meanwhile, whisk the ingredients for the cream together until thick and pillowy. Gently stir the raspberries and redcurrants, if using, through the strawberries. Spoon the cream into the middle of the pavlova, then top with the fruit, drizzling over any juice. Scatter over the mint or basil before serving.