pavlova.

after 3 years of having my first bite of pavlova, and endless searches for pavlova at restaurants (we tried Balthazar in NYC and an Australian restaurant in London), i finally worked up the courage to make my own PAVLOVA.

and gosh, for all the babying i did to that pavlova ("don't slam the oven door!", "get an umbrella out for the pavlova!", "turn the AC down to 68!"), it turned out perfectly crispy on the outside and perfectly marshmallowy in the center.

i used joy the bakers recipe. she has a nice video on how to make a pavlova:
4 egg whites
1 cup superfine sugar (i couldn't find it, so i used my food processor to grind down regular granulated sugar)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 T cornstarch

1. whip those eggs whites with a mixer, until soft peaks form (2-3 minutes)
2. add sugar and cornstarch in gradually while mixer is running (a tablespoon at a time). this will take about 2 minutes to finish. your mixture should turn glossy and marshmallowy.
3. add in vinegar and vanilla, beat until stiff peaks form - about 3 minutes.
4. plop the mixture down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, using a spatula to form a 7 inch circle. make sure your edges are higher than the center so you have a nice home for the berries and cream to go.
5. bake for 60-75 minutes at 250 degrees F. don't open the oven ever ever until it is finished, and then turn off the oven, and just crack the oven door open. let the pavlova cool inside the oven. i think this is the key to getting that perfect hard meringue shell and marshmallow inside.

just before serving, top with whipped cream and fruit. i used strawberries and blueberries, but i bet peaches would be lovely.