*These directions are in my own words.*

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Prepare the parchment paper with 6 circles. 

Tip: You can use the sifter as the shape tool for drawing circles on the parchment. Just draw your circle in pencil, and then flip the parchment paper over to see the outline on the other side. 

Using room temperature egg whites, whisk until stiff peaks form. Slowly add the cup of sugar. 

Tip: If your sugar is not fine-grained, just blend it in a small food processor until you get the desired effect. 

When the meringue is stiff and glossy and is three times the volume, it is ready. 

In a small, separate bowl, mix the vanilla, cornstarch, and vinegar. 

Tip: It is okay to use something similar to white vinegar. I used champagne vinegar. Also the cornstarch, vanilla, and vinegar mixture will make a little science experiment that will become solid when settled and liquid when stirred. Keep this in mind when getting ready to fold it into the egg whites. 

Using the circles as a guide, spoon the meringue onto the parchment paper. Pile each high enough that you can use the back of the spoon to make a well in the center. 

Bake for 1 hour. When the meringues are done baking, they need to rest in the oven. Use a wooden spoon to keep the oven door slightly open with the heat turned off. Allow the meringues to cool in the oven for an hour. 

Tip: When baking the pavlovas, if you have a double-oven, do not use your other oven for a different recipe when doing the pavlovas, including having them cool in the oven after baking. This will destroy the texture of the pavlova. This is a discovery that you don’t want to make when you are feeding company. 

Whisk the heavy cream with a teaspoon of sugar until soft peaks form. 

Tip: If you are using a metal bowl, place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes prior to whisking the whip cream so that the bowl is very cold. This little secret is something my mom taught me and it helps the whip cream set up. 

Also, while the pavlova itself is very sweet, the whip cream is not. This is okay. But if you want the whip cream to have a bit of sweetness, you can add a bit of sugar or fold in some lemon curd. 

When ready to serve, dollop the whip cream onto the center of each pavlova and top with mixed berries. The finished pavlovas can stay at room temperature for about an hour, or place in the fridge until ready to serve. I would recommend keeping the whip cream in the fridge, the meringues in a dry place away from moisture, and only putting the finishing touches on when serving. 

I have kept the meringues in a tupperware overnight and they hold up nicely.