Fresh Berry Pavlovas

Several years ago I was invited to a Waitangi Day party, celebrating New Zealand's founding as a colony, thrown by my Kiwi friends. I learned that fresh fruit pavlovas are commonly served on this national holiday and like many dishes, these crispy meringue desserts can differ from region to region. You can use any kind of fruit you like, or even choose to substitute with chocolate or ice cream.

Makes 8 servings

For Meringues Cups:

3 large egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla paste, or vanilla extract

For Filling:

½ pint blueberries
½ pint blackberries
1 pint strawberries, trimmed and quartered
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1½ cups blended strawberry yogurt

For Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste, or vanilla extract

Heat oven to 180° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. For the meringue cups, in a large bowl, or stand mixer, whip egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Then slowly add 1 cup of sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Flavor with vanilla extract, then dollop meringue mixture onto parchment paper and form 8 small rounds approximately 3 inches in diameter. With the back of a spoon, form an indent in the middle of the meringue dollop to form a cup. Bake meringues in oven until they are completely dried out about 2 to 2½ hours. Meringue cups can be prepared several days in advance and kept in an airtight container.

For the filling, Toss berries with 1 tablespoon sugar and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until juicy.

To whip the cream, combine heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until stiff and fluffy peaks form. Be careful not to overbeat.

To assemble pavlovas, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of yogurt into the meringue cups and top with a large spoonful of berries. Garnish with a large dollop of whipped cream, serve, and enjoy!