Lavender Pavlova
Ingredients
- 150g (about 5) extra-large egg whites
- pinch cream of tartar
- 300g castor sugar
- seeds of 1 vanilla pod
- 6 fresh lavender heads, buds picked
- 250ml (1 cup) whipping cream
- 15g icing sugar
- 400g fresh figs
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 110°C and line a 23cm baking tray with foil.
Whisk the egg whites until frothy, add the cream of tartar and continue to whisk to stiff peaks. Add 15ml (1 tbsp) castor sugar at a time, while whisking continuously, until all of the sugar has been added. You should have a thick and glossy meringue. Fold in the vanilla seeds and half of the lavender buds.
Spoon the Pavlova onto the prepared tray and, using a spatula, shape into a round nest. Sprinkle over the remaining lavender buds and bake in the preheated oven until the meringue nest is crisp on the outside and peels easily off the foil, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave to cool inside.
Whip the cream to stiff peaks, fold in the icing sugar and spoon into the centre of the meringue nest. Top with fresh figs to serve.
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
