Strawberry pavlova with rose cream

Serves 6-8 Desserts and puddings

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Method

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/ Gas 2. Pencil a 22cm circle on non-stick baking paper and lay it, pencilled-side down, on a baking sheet.

Whisk the egg whites stiff, gradually adding half the sugar, then add the rest with the vinegar and cornflour. Spread the meringue to cover the circle, peaking it round the perimeter, and bake for about an hour until crisp and dry. Leave to cool in the turned-off oven with the door ajar. Peel off the paper and transfer to a flat serving plate.

Whip the cream up to soft peaks and whisk in rose water to flavour it lightly. Pile into the shell just before serving and arrange strawberries, whole or cut according to size, on top.

Decorate with sugared petals.

Sugared petals

Make sure flowers have not been contaminated by pets, pests, chemical sprays or pollution (don’t collect them close to roads). Rose petals and small whole flowers such as violets, freesias, primroses and carnations can all be treated this way to make pretty decorations for cakes and puddings.

Beat the white of an egg lightly in a shallow dish. Spread caster sugar on a saucer. With a small, soft, artist’s brush, spread the white over the upper surface of the flowers then dip in the sugar, shaking off the excess. Leave to dry overnight. Cover and refrigerate the egg white.

The next day, whisk the white again, paint and sugar-dip the undersides of the flowers and leave them upside down to dry. Store well separated in a covered box.