Recipe: Pavlova with edible flowers and herbs

You'll want to lick both your fingers and the bowl!

This sweet dessert - or go crazy, main course - is as elegant as the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova after whom it is named. This version with red fruits, edible flowers and mint syrup is one in the 'is there more?' category. Besides, the recipe is really not that difficult to make (as long as the meringue bowl is spotless).

pavlova met eetbare bloemen en kruiden Mooiwatbloemendoen.nl

you will need (for 6-8 people)

4 egg whites
300 grams granulated sugar
200 ml whipped cream
2-3 tablespoons lemon curd (home-made or readymade)
500 grams fresh forest fruits
150 ml water
Edible flowers* such as violets
Half a bunch of mint
Icing sugar
Baking tin
Baking paper

how to make it

Preheat your oven to 100 degrees. Beat the egg whites in a spotless bowl until stiff and add 200 g of sugar while stirring. The egg whites should now become nice and stiff and lumpy, and turn almost pearly. The meringue is ready when you can hold the bowl upside down without anything falling out. Spread the meringue out on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and "dry" it in the preheated oven for about 3-5 hours.

Whip the cream (until a little thicker than yoghurt, but thinner than whipped cream) and carefully stir in the lemon curd. Is the cream too stiff? Then add a little yoghurt to taste.

Make mint syrup by dissolving 100 g sugar in the remaining water over a medium heat. Mix in the mint leaves (torn up if necessary) and leave to infuse. It does not have to boil. Make sure that the meringue and syrup have cooled down completely when you start building the pavlova.

Peel the baking paper from the meringue and place on a nice large dish. Drape the whipped cream on top, the edible flowers and sprinkle with a few (really careful) teaspoons of the mint syrup. Serve with icing sugar and possibly a few small mint leaves on top.