Berry Pavlova with Pistachios

Original recipe by: Leslie Brenner

This is one of my all-time favorite desserts: a gorgeous, dramatic, messy berry Pavlova. A Pavlova shell – a giant French meringue baked so that it's crisp on the outside and melty in the middle – makes the perfect base, when topped with a cloud of whipped cream, for berries and other summer fruits. The shell itself is easy and forgiving, and you can play to your heart's desire when it comes to the fruit topping. You might use just strawberries tossed in orange liqueur with toasted sliced almonds, or a combo of blackberries and ripe sliced peaches macerated in red wine, or citrus supremes (maybe whip some orange marmalade into the cream) – or even mango and roasted pineapple with a flurry of toasted grated coconut.

Serves 8.

Ingredients

FOR THE PAVLOVA SHELL:

• 6 egg whites at room temperature

• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1 3/4 cups sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE TOPPINGS:

• 1 pint strawbe…