Method

Pre heat the oven to 100°.

Prepare a baking sheet by covering with a layer of baking paper.

Start by whisking some of the egg whites with an electric mixer at a medium speed until frothy. Add the castor sugar the further egg whites in 4 separated additions, incorporating the sugar completely at each addition. Whisk until stiff peaks form.

Spread onto baking paper in one big round pavlova (approx 2 cm high), or alternatively in small individual portions.

Place into the oven, use a wooden spoon to keep the oven door ajar and let the meringue dry out, you can either use it when it is still chewy on the inside or crisp the whole way through depending on your preference.

Keep in a sealed airtight container once removed from the oven and cooled if you do not intend to use immediately.

Passion Fruit Crème

Place a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat and bring the un-whipped cream and the passion fruit pulp to the boil. Finely chop the chocolate and place in a glass bowl, remove the boiled cream mixture from the stove and pour over the chopped chocolate, stir gently until all the chocolate has melted.

Allow this ganache mixture to cool to room temperature, and then fold the whipped cream in gently. Place in the refrigerator to set.

Bring to the boil the retained passion fruit pips, the pulp of one more passion fruit and a little sugar to the boil. This will be used to drizzle over the pavlova at the end.

To assemble the pavlova, place the meringue on a serving plate. Spread or pipe the passion fruit crème evenly over the top of the pavlova. Arrange your choice of sliced fruit and berries over the top of the crème and finally drizzle with the cooled passion fruit pulp mix.

To modernise your pavlova, pipe a small amount of Italian meringue onto the plate and drag with a fine toothed comb, use a blowtorch to caramelise.  Pipe passion fruit crème randomly over the meringue. Arrange macerated sliced fruit and berries amongst the piped crème. Drizzle the passion fruit pulp in amongst the fruit and crème.

Garnish with dehydrated strawberries and crisp meringue shards.