Macadamia pavlova recipe

Enjoy this stunning macadamia nut meringue, topped with crème fraîche and summer berries drizzled with fruit liqueur, as a weekend treat if you're entertaining and your guests will be super impressed.

Ingredients

• 4 medium egg whites
• 250g (8oz) golden caster sugar
• 1 level tsp cornflour
• 2 tsps white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 60g (2oz) macadamia nuts

For the filling

:

• 284ml carton double cream
• 200g pot half-fat crème fraîche
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
• 300g (10oz) strawberries, hulled and halved
• 200g (7oz) cherries, halved and stones removed
• 1 tablespoon orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier

20cm (8in) deep, loose-based flan tin, greased and lined with baking parchment

Method

1. 1. To make your pavlova, set the oven to Gas Mark 1 or 140ºC. Put the egg whites into a clean, grease-free bowl and whisk, with an electric mixer, until stiff peaks form.
   2. Continue to whisk, adding the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Add the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla, then whisk together to combine.
   3. Spoon one-third of the meringue mixture into the tin and spread over the base. Sprinkle most of the nuts over. Spoon the rest of the meringue around the sides and sprinkle with the rest of the nuts.
   4. Bake for 1¼ hours, or until firm around the edges and slightly soft in the centre. Cool.
   To make the filling:
   
   1. Whip the double cream to soft peaks, then stir in the crème fraîche, vanilla and sugar.Take the pavlova out of the tin, carefully peel away the baking parchment and put ot on to a serving plate.
      
   2. Spoon in the cream, top with the strawberries and cherries and drizzle with the liqueur. Serve within 2 hours.