Pavlova

If you hadn't already guessed, I love dessert. As UK food critic Gregg Wallace says, dessert is completely unnecessary - we don't need to eat it to survive. Perhaps that's what makes it so special.

With Australia Day coming soon, and because Australian Valentine's Day falls during summer, I thought it fitting to post a recipe for pavlova for 2.

Many of you may have your own fail-safe secret family recipe, but I just tried making pavlova through trial and error - so please don't judge me too harshly!

PAVLOVA

Mix 2 egg whites on medium speed until frothy, then increase to high and mix until you get soft peaks.

Mixing on medium speed, add 1 cup of caster sugar, 1 spoon at a time.

Make sure each spoon is incorporated before adding the next.

Lastly, add in 1 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp cream of tartar and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

It will look shiny shiny shiny!

Spoon onto a lined baking tray.

I draw a circle on the paper because without it, my pav would look like a lopsided blob.

I like to shape a bowl area to hold the topping.

I reserved some meringue to pipe into rosettes to add on later.

Bake at 100 C for 1 hr 30 min, then turn the oven off and prop the door open with your oven mitts.

Allow your pav to cool completely before handling.

Whip about 200ml of thickened cream with 1 tbsp icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Top your pav with the cream and any fruit of your choice.

My hubby and I simply got a couple of spoons and dug straight in.