Steps

• For this recipe, we will prepare a French meringue, where the egg whites are whipped cold. As a main rule, forget to add salt. It’s said that “a pinch of salt helps the egg whites whip better.” This is completely false! I used to do it, and the whites always collapsed without understanding why until I made this dessert.

  That said, now I’ll leave you the steps to make the base. However, one last recommendation before proceeding! Follow the steps, adding the ingredients in the order I’ll write. There’s a very valid reason, but I won’t explain it now. I’ll definitely do it in a future recipe dedicated solely to meringues.

  Remove the eggs from the refrigerator at least a couple of hours before (even more if possible) making the recipe because they need to be at room temperature. Then separate the yolks from the whites and weigh the latter, which should correspond to the weight indicated in the ingredients above. Obviously, eggs aren’t all the same size, so if the weight doesn’t match, know that the sugar should be double the weight of the egg whites. Do not throw away the yolks; you can use them to make a carbonara.

  Please be careful not to let any yolk drop into the whites when separating them. The yolks contain fat, which could compromise the recipe’s success.

  Start working the egg whites with electric whisks or a stand mixer until they start to foam. Now add the lemon juice, still with the electric whisks on, and continue working the whites for a couple of minutes. Then add the granulated sugar, always whipping with the whisks, little by little. Do this operation in 3 or 4 stages, waiting a couple of minutes before adding the next. Granulated sugar takes a while to dissolve.

  After adding all the granulated sugar, add the powdered sugar in the same way as you added the granulated sugar. It is a process that takes time, and it’s essential to respect the time to avoid compromising the recipe’s outcome. You’ll see that in the end, it will be worth it, as the result will be uniquely satisfying and delicious.

  The egg whites will be well-whipped when you obtain a frothy and glossy mass. To verify the perfect result, you can detach the whisks from the mixture. When lifted, they should form a peak with a tip. Then set aside the bowl with the whipped whites and draw a circle with a diameter of 8-9 inches on a sheet of parchment paper. Flip it over and transfer it onto a baking sheet. The circle will be the template for making the Pavlova.

  Now transfer the whipped egg whites to the center of this circle, trying to cover its entire surface. With a spatula or a spoon, very gently, start shaping it into a mound. Shape the sides with the back of a spoon, and with the same spoon, slightly hollow the center to create a cavity.

  Bake the meringue in a preheated oven at 230°F with static mode for 2 hours. After the baking time, open the door and let the meringue cool completely. It will be well-cooked if it easily detaches from the parchment paper and feels light.

  

• Meanwhile, as the meringue cools, put the cold cream from the fridge in a bowl with the powdered sugar and whip it with electric whisks until you get a smooth and frothy mixture. Take the meringue and fill the center with the previously whipped cream. If the cavity you made before baking isn’t deep enough, you can gently tap the inside of the meringue as I did to create more space.

  Now focus on preparing the fruit for garnishing. Peel the kiwis and cut them in half, then into slices. Also, peel the tangerine and divide it into segments. Seed the pomegranate and rinse the currants and blueberries under water, then pat them dry with kitchen paper.

  Now go wild with the cake decoration! Distribute the blueberries, kiwi slices, and tangerine segments randomly as you prefer. Then add the pomegranate seeds and finish with the currants.

  

• Dust with powdered sugar and serve your Pavlova.