Coconut Berry Pavlova

Talking over brunch, a friend and I discussed the different ways you can experiment with new flavours or adapt traditional dishes to give it your own touch. Something that came up, was how daunting it can be to combine new flavours, especially if the people around you are used to things been made a particular way and if you don’t have the finances to experiment with numerous ingredients. Yet, something I came to realise is that it all comes down to confidence, it’s your kitchen, and the excitement of cooking is experimenting, if you don't try how will you ever know what you like?

This is what inspired this week’s pavlova recipe. Using traditional dishes and adding your own twist, is a safe yet fun way to add your own personality. So, try and experiment a little more today in the kitchen, and in life in general. Like this pavlova recipe, see what fruits you can experiment with and put your mark on it!

WHAT YOU NEED

• Standing mixer
• Spatula
• Scales
• Mixing bowls
• Spoon
• Oven
• Baking paper

INGREDIENTS

• 4 egg whites
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 200g caster sugar
• 15g desiccated coconut (or use 1tsp coconut essence, if you don't like the texture of coconuts)
• 250ml double cream (whipped)
• 300g of strawberries
• 100g blueberries

STEPS

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 150 °C then get a baking sheet and mark 23cm on it.
   2. Now place the egg whites into a mixing bowl, and whisk on a low level (Level 1 or 2) until stiff.
   3. Add the sugar gradually, or 1 tbsp at a time. (TIP: To see if the mixture is ready and stiff enough, tip the bowl upside down, if it doesn't fall out of the bowl it is ready)
   4. In a separate bowl, stir the wine vinegar and cornflour together, then add to the mixture.
   5. Once ready, spread the mixture out onto the baking sheet to cover the 23cm radius. Then, create big peaks on the outside, so it is taller than the middle.
   6. Now place in the oven and leave to bake for 1 hour. Once it has finished baking, leave it to cool down.

For the filling:

1. Whip the cream in a bowl, then once the pavlova has cooled down, place on top.
2. Now add the chopped fruit, and cool for an hour in the fridge. It's ready to serve!