Cara Conway’s Meringue Basket

Meringue Basket / Kate Martens (p)

Jackie Cameron
Cara Conway’s Pavlova baskets are inspired by a recipe of her mother’s.
— Jackie Cameron

Cara Conway’s Meringue Basket

Ingredients:

  • 4 Egg whites
  • 250g Castor sugar
  • 10ml Cornflour
  • 5ml Vanilla extract
  • 5ml White wine vinegar
  • Pinch of ORXY Salt

 Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
  2. You’ll need two baking trays lined with grease proof paper. On the underside of the paper draw circles with a circumference of 7cm, to mark the size of your meringue “baskets”. Draw 10.
  3. Start whisking egg whites, until soft peaks form as well as good volume, add the salt. Continue whisking and start adding the sifted castor sugar gradually one tablespoon at a time. Once sugar is incorporated the meringue should have reached stiff peaks, have a lovely gloss and be triple in volume, stop whisking. Gently fold in the sifted cornflour, vanilla extract and white wine vinegar.
  4. Using a tablespoon, shape your meringue baskets, hollowing the middle and building up the sides, so that you have a deep enough basket to fill with your cream and fruit. (You can also do this by filling a piping bag and doing circular movements to create these baskets) You should manage to make 10 baskets.
  5. Turn down the oven temperature to 150 degrees Celsius and place the meringues in to bake for 1 hour. After an hour, do not open the door, switch the oven off and leave to dry out overnight, or until they’re completely cooled down.