Ingredients

Meringue
4 large egg whites
1 cup superfine sugar
2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sifted cornstarch

Fruit
1 quart strawberries, sliced
1 pint blueberries
1 pint raspberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 small lemon, zested and juiced 1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon Cointreau

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 275. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine the egg whites, superfine sugar, and vinegar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until soft peaks form. Sift the cornstarch over the whites and carefully fold in with a spatula.

Spoon the meringue mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it out to a circle about 8 inches in diameter to form a nest, or in 8 equal rounds to make individual pavlovas. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 2 hours. Turn off the oven and let the meringue continue cooking in the residual heat for another hour. Cool on a rack to room temperature. If serving that day, set on a serving plate and wrap in plastic until ready to serve. If serving the next day, put the meringue in an airtight container.

Toss the berries in a bowl with the granulated sugar, black pepper, cayenne, and lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap and let the fruit macerate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Add zest, cream, confectioners’ sugar, and Cointreau to a mixing bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, spread the cream over the pavlova and arrange all but about 1 cup of the firmer chunks of macerated fruit on top of the cream. Cut the pavlova into wedges and serve with remaining fruit.