golden pavlova

with whipped cream and fruit

when i was little and visiting my grandparents i used to eat meringue nests, tinned peaches and clotted cream. they were both very cornish so clotted cream (specifically rodda’s) was eaten with nearly all desserts. this recipe is essentially a fancy (and huge!) version of that childhood treat. the golden caster sugar gives the meringue a slight caramel flavour, and i think it looks quite retro and cute. i chose gooseberries because firstly i love them, secondly they have a very short season so are nice to make the most of and thirdly their sour tang works nicely with the sweet meringue and cream. if you can’t find gooseberries any berry or fruit with a sour hit will work.