Forest Fruit Pavlova

First things first, no I didn't go to the forest and forage around for the forest fruits. Instead I went to a supermarket and foraged there as it was super busy and for some bazaar reason, everyone wanted all the fruit.

So this is a Delia Smith recipe, but I would know it more as my mother's recipe as I have all these memories from when I was growing up and my mum would always make these amazing pavlovas! I mean, I'm not doing them justice, they were the bomb!

So now in every way life  intended, the Caterpillar became the butterfly and now I make the Pavlova. There is something rather depressing and morbid about that. If i'm the butterfly, what is mama going to morph into... a moth!?

Now, I can't carry on writing this until I say, my mama will always be the butterfly of the Pavlova and no caterpillars attempt will ever be as good as the Butterflies. Why do I keep reverting to past tense? She is still here and very much chucking along. Lol!

My point being, in a rather long winded and slightly weird metaphoric manner, that mama is now teaching me how to make it. I am continuously going into the room and asking 'Is this right?' and that is because I know she makes them so good, that one day I can only hope to make them as good as she. (Who's she, the cat's mother?) (Sorry thinking out-loud there- where is my mind filter when I need it?)

The ingredients that you'll need are:

- 3 Egg whites, cracked into a clean, dry and with absolutely no dirt or anything bowl

- 6 oz Sugar, I use my oz spoon and put in 6 heaped spoonfuls- just how mama taught me

Method:

Whisk the egg whites until thick. I mean really thick. When I did this the first time, I had to do it a second time as the egg whites weren't thick enough and it was all loose and fluid.

Once thick enough, and by thick enough, I mean take it out of the mixer and stick the bowl upside down over your head kinda thick, add in the sugar

Do this one spoonful at a time and leave around 10 seconds between each spoonful.

Then once all the sugar is in, whisk very fast for 5 seconds and plop onto a baking sheet and tray.

Spike it up a little but patting it with the spatula and this will create little spikes. Nice!

Put into an oven preheated to 150C in a fan assisted oven and once the Pavlova is in, immediately turn down to 140 and cook for 1 hour.

After an hour and the thing is cooked, leave in the oven to cool. Obviously turn off the oven and let them cool down together.

Then take it out once cooled and spread on the whipped cream and the forest fruits. I'm using blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. My twist to make this recipe more me, is grating a little lemon zest over the fruit and Pavlova to give it a little zing!

And that is it! All that is left to do is eat!

Thanks