Cornflower and Berry Pavlova

  This cornflower and berry pavlova is very straightforward to make and a very impressive dessert. First gather your cornflowers. We grow pink, white, purple and black ones as well as the traditional blue. Ensure that they are dry and free from insects and then crystallise them using gum arabic and caster sugar. You can buy seasonal organic cornflowers from us here. This is incredibly easy and means they’ll last for months. For details on how to crystallise flowers look at our website here. Rustle up a meringue base by beating 4 egg whites until stiff in a squeaky clean bowl. Gradually add 225 grms of caster sugar a spoon full at a time. Then add 1/2 teaspoon of white wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon of cornflower (no idea why but that is what my mother always does and it works!) and give a final quick whisk. Spread onto baking parchment and put in the oven at 120C (lower if a fan oven)  or gas mark 1/2. Cook for 1 1/2 hours in the oven and then switch off the oven leaving the meringue base in the oven until it is completely cold (overnight is best).

Add the seeds of 1/2 a vanilla pod and the zest of a lemon to a large carton of double cream and whisk until firm (you can use 1/2 cream and 1/2 mascarpone if you prefer). Mound the cream on top of the cold meringue and add your chosen selection of berries and decorate with the crystallised cornflowers.

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