Sugared Fruit Christmas Pavlova

Crunchy meringue shell with a fluffy marshmallow centre topped with whipped cream and sugared fruits

Prep: Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Whip egg whites: In a large mixing bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Use an electric hand mixer to beat the egg whites on medium speed until they become frothy, soft peaks.
Whip to stiff peaks: Sprinkle the sugar in, one spoonful at a time, mixing in between each addition. After all the sugar has been added, turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and whip until the mixture becomes stiff peaks that stand up on their own when you pull the mixer out of the bowl.
Fold: Sprinkle in the cornstarch (use a sieve to sift it in if it's clumpy) and vanilla extract. Use a spatula to gently fold them in until just combined. Don't overmix otherwise the meringue will deflate too much.
Shape: Plop all of the meringue onto your lined baking sheet. Use a spatula to smooth and shape the meringue into a flattened cylindrical shape. Drag an offset spatula up the sides of the meringue to create a striped pattern.
Bake: Bake the meringue for about 1.5 hours or until the exterior is dry and hard. Turn off the oven and let the meringue sit inside until cooled, at least 1 hour or overnight. The middle of the meringue should crack and fall inside as it cools - don't worry, this is what we want! It will be a the cavity that we fill with whipped cream.

Make simple syrup: In a small pot, stir together the sugar and water. Heat on the stovetop until the sugar as completely dissolved. Remove it from the heat and let it cool for 5-10 minutes.
Coat fruits in syrup: Add each of your fruits to the simple syrup and stir around until completely coated. You can spoon the syrup over larger fruits. Use a slotted spoon to remove excess syrup or let it drip off the fruits before placing them on a wire rack (with a tray underneath it to catch drips) or parchment paper. Let them dry for about 30 minutes to 1 hour until the surface of the fruits is tacky.
Roll in sugar: Place the sugar for coating onto a shallow dish. Roll all of the fruits in the sugar until coated. Return them to the wire rack or parchment paper to dry until you're ready to assemble the pavlova.

Whip cream: In a large mixing bowl, add the whipping cream and vanilla extract. Use an electric hand mixer to whip the mixture on medium-high speed until it becomes stiff peaks.

Fill with whipped cream: Carefully transfer your meringue shell to your serving plate or cake stand. Use the back of a spoon to crack the surface of the meringue if it hasn't already cracked on its own. Fill the middle of the meringue with whipped cream.
Toppings: Arrange sugared fruits on top of the whipped cream. Serve immediately.

Sugared fruits: Fruits that are dry and firm on the outside work best for sugaring. Cranberries, grapes, and cherries work well! If the fruit is too soft or juicy without a thick skin, the sugar coating will draw out the moisture and get wet and syrupy.
Storage: Once assembled, pavlovas don't store well. They should be assembled with whipped cream and fruits as close to serving time as possible and eaten right away or within the same day. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge but over time, the meringue absorb moisture from the cream and start to soften and dissolve.

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