Fresh Strawberry Pavlova

Layered textures, crunchy meringue exterior, gooey meringue interior, soft clouds of whipped cream, and fresh, juicy fruit – combine for an absolutely irresistible dessert. Luckily, pavlovas don’t “keep” well, a sufficient excuse to eat the whole confection in one glorious sitting. Meringue is adversely affected by humidity, which can make it difficult to achieve a showy, crunchy exterior if the weather isn't in cooperation mode. A dry day is an ideal meringue day, but know that whether meringue turns out crunchy, soft, gooey, sticky, or light and pillowy: humidity be damned, it always goes down well. Garnish with toasted nuts or chocolate if you like, but it’s hard to beat the perfect simplicity of ripe berries and cream.