Christmas Pavlova

4 egg whites

280g sugar

1 ½ tsp white vinegar

2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

4 tbsp boiling water

4 tbsp cornflour

Preheat oven to 120˚C. Cover oven tray with baking paper.  Place ingredients for pavlova into warm bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon mixture onto oven tray in desired shape. Bake for 2 hours. Turn off oven and leave pavlova in oven for at least 5 hours (preferably overnight) to dry out. To serve, spread lactose free cream or lactose free yogurt over surface of pavlova, top with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and kiwifruit.

Ideas for Topping …..Greek yoghurt (Chobani or Farmer’s Union) or Liddell’s lactose free yoghurt or Liddell’s lactose free cream, seasonal low FODMAP fruit (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and kiwifruit, passionfruit), lemon curd

Rachael’s Lemon Curd:

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup caster sugar

½ cup lemon juice (or combination of lemon and lime juice for a citrus twist)

75g butter, chopped

Place all ingredients into a microwave proof glass bowl (eg Pyrex) and whisk gently.  Microwave for 90 seconds on medium setting, take out, whisk and repeat four times for a total of 6 mins on medium setting.  Pour into a sealed container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until cool.

Creative and Time Saving Tip

You can find suitable pavlova bases or meringue nests at most supermarkets to save cooking time (eg Coles).

I like to have a Make Your Own Dessert Station on large wooden boards.  Arrange bowls of berries, mint leaves, flakes of dark chocolate, bowl of lemon curd, whipped Liddells cream, jug of raspberry coulis and mini pavlovas and let everyone make their own creation.