Preheat oven to 140 C and line your baking tray with parchment paper.
Draw a round circle the size of a dinner plate on your parchment paper.
In a clean dry bowl whip 6 egg whites until soft peaks form.
Add 1/2 tsp cream of tartar and beat.
Now add 1 3/4 cups castor sugar a little at a time beating well after each addition until you get stiff peaks.
Add 2 tsp white vinegar and 1 tsp vanilla essence and beat further.
If you take the egg white and rub between your fingers it should be grain free.
Pipe or spoon meringue into your circle, smooth out leaving an indentation in the centre of circle to allow for filling.
Bake for 1 1/4 hours then switch off oven and open oven door slightly to allow to dry out for 1 hour.
Remove from oven and cool completely then transfer to your serving plate.
Beat 1 1/2 cups cream with 2 tbsp icing (confectioners) sugar until stiff then spread and smooth over pavlova.
Add any fresh fruits of your choice.
Drizzle with melted chocolate. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Source : Shaheedah Petersen
Prepared, tried and tested by: Gail Haselsteiner
