Prodigious pavlova

This recipe appears in Nigella's book Feast, published by Chatto & Windus.  I use half these quantities for around 6 - 8 people.

Ingredients

For the base

• 8 free-range egg whites
• 500g/1lb 2oz caster sugar
• 4 tsp cornflour
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

For the topping

• 650ml/1 pint double cream
• 10 passion fruit  or any fruit of your choice
• 25g/1oz icing sugar

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
   
2. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and draw a rough 25cm/10in diameter circle onto it with a non-toxic pencil.
   
3. In a bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed, then whisk in the sugar, one tablespoonful at a time, until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.
   
4. Sprinkle the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla extract over the egg white, and fold in lightly with a metal spoon.
   
5. Spoon the meringue onto the baking parchment within the marked circle and, using a spatula, flatten the top and smooth the sides.
   
6. Place into the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 120C/250F/Gas ½. Cook for an hour, then turn off the oven and leave to cool completely.
   
7. Once cool, remove the meringue base from the oven (you can keep the meringue in an airtight container for a couple of days or store in the freezer for up to one month).
   
8. When you are ready to assemble the pavlova, invert the cooled meringue disk onto a large plate or a serving stand, and peel off the baking parchment.
   
9. For the topping, in a mixing bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Spoon the cream onto the meringue base, spreading it onto the edges in a swirly fashion.
   Add fruit of your choice.