Louise's Mum's (Mrs O'Gorman's) Pavlova

O'Gorman Family Recipe. Serves 1-2!. 9 steps

6 egg whites (240g)		Beat until stiff peaks form		Spread into a 14 inch diameter circle on a sheet of baking parchment. Preheat oven to moderately slow. Bake in a very slow oven, 140°C, 45–60 minutes, watching closely. If it begins to brown, open the oven door to allow it to cool. Cool in oven. May be kept in an airtight container 24 hours
1 3/4 cup sugar (350g)		Add 3 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition, until sugar is completely dissolved, and it looks like "the Swiss alps on a sunny day"
2 teaspoons cornflour	sift	fold in
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
garnish
1/2 litre cream	whip		Spread cream over pavlova, decorate with fruit
fruit (kiwi fruit, strawberries, bananas)	slice

Other sources use less sugar, e.g. 300g. To tell if it's beaten enough, rub some meringue between your fingers: stop beating as soon as you can't feel any sugar granules.

To shape a pavlova into a cake, create a fluted column by using strokes of a palette knife up the sides. This will help avoid collapsing during cooking.

The goal is to be marshmallow-like in the middle, with a crisp shell. The key to baking a pavlova is not baking it but rather drying it. It should not brown. A very slight tinge is OK.

Egg whites: room temperature or cold? fresh or old? Opinion is divided.
Low volume meringue mixture? Your bowl or beaters probably had some grease.
Dull meringue mixture, or soggy meringue? You overbeat it, past the glossy stage.
Collapsed pavlova? You opened the oven door while cooking.
Cracked pavlova? This is normal.
Weeping? Too much sugar, or overbeating, or not enough cooking.