Recipe: Triple Ripple Raspberry Pavlova

Perfect for a summery Christmas treat.

I've used a freeze-dried raspberry powder to add concentrated fruit flavour to this pav. Fresh As freeze-dried fruit powders are available from delis and some supermarkets. Use in icings, cakes, muffins, desserts or smoothies. This pav has a crisp shell and a marshmallow centre.

Ingredients:

3 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

4 tbsp boiling water

2 tsp cornflour

1 tsp each: vanilla essence, white vinegar

1 & 1/2 tsp freeze-dried raspberry powder

Topping: 1 & 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

3 tbsp icing sugar

3/4 cup cream, whipped

Method:

1.Preheat the oven to 200C. Place a sheet of baking paper on a tray. Mark out an 18cm circle in the centre of the paper.

2.Place the egg whites, sugar, boiling water, cornflour, vanilla essence and white vinegar in a large mixing bowl in the order listed. Beat, preferably with an electric mixer, for 12 minutes. Beat until thick, smooth, shiny and the peaks stand on end.

3.Fold in the raspberry powder leaving a ripple effect.

4.Carefully spoon and smooth the mixture into the marked circle on the baking paper. Smooth up the sides and over the top.

5.Place in the centre of the oven. Bake at 200C for 3 minutes, then turn off the oven. Leave in the oven for 1 & 1/2 hours.

6.Combine 1/2 a cup of raspberries in a small saucepan with 2 tbsp of icing sugar. Simmer on low heat, until soft. Cool then pass through a sieve to make a coulis.

7.Remove the pav from the oven and, using a wide spatula, lift on to a serving plate. Cool completely.

8.Whip the cream with the remaining icing sugar, until thick.

9.Dollop over the cooled pavlova. Top with raspberries and drizzle with coulis.

Serves 6.