Pavlova Roll, Lemon Curd Cream and Cherries

• Preheat the oven to 160 C. Prepare a lined baking tray. A brownie or swiss roll tin would be ideal. Make the lemon curd and cherries before starting the pavlova
• Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar in the clean bowl of a mixer until light and frothy. Gradually add the sugar until it is all incorporated. Beat until the mixture is thick and glossy and all of the sugar is dissolved. Rub some of the meringue between your fingertips to make sure the mixture is smooth and not gritty.
• Add the cornflour and beat well to combine.
• Spread the mixture onto a standard brownie ( Swiss roll tin) lined with baking paper and sprayed well around the edges. The mixture should be spread to 2 – 3 cm thick (1 inch), nice and flat with a palette knife.
• Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or till set and lightly browned on top. Set asde

To make Lemon Curd

• Prepare a bowl over a double boiler on simmer.
• Put the caster sugar, lemon juice and zest in to bowl and give it a quick whisk. Add the eggs and cubed butter and continuously whisk over the double boiler.
• When ready, the curd will be quite hot without boiling and will become quite viscous. Stain into a clean cool bowl and refrigerate. The curd will thicken up.

To make the Poached Cherries

• De- seed the cherries using an olive pitter. Leave the stalks in tact if you like.
• Put the sugar, juice, vinegar and spices ( if using ) into a pot ( big enough to hold the syrup and all of the cherries but don’t add them yet), and bring up to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes until all the sugar is dissolved and the spices have infused.
• Turn off the heat and add the cherries. There will be enough residual heat to poach them lightly.
• ** For Cherry plate caramel – Once cooled pour off 1 cup of poaching liquor, into a small pot, add another 1/2 cup of sugar and and reduce until a thick caramel liquid is left ( set aside).

To Assemble the Pavlova

• Make 1 large roll to cut at the table or 6 individual portions.
• Whip the the extra cream ( 300ml- 1/2 pint) until thick and firm. Fold through 1 cup of the lemon curd.
• Spread this sparingly onto the pavlova, don’t over fill as it will ooze out of the ends!.
• Drain 6 or so cherries of any liquid and roughly chop, sprinkling them over the lemon curd cream.
• Hold the paper at the ( longest) side of the pavlova and roll up , just like making a Swiss roll. Using the paper shape and squeeze it lightly into shape ( you can do this and refrigerate overnight if you like. )
• Cut into slices.
• Paint each plate with Cherry Caramel. Put a smear of plain lemon curd onto each plate and place a roll on each one. Finely chop up some praline sprinkling each serve with this . Decorate with Cherries and syrup and small mounds of lemon curd and praline