Chocolate Pavlova

Source: Nigella.com

Love this dessert! You can make a plain meringue base if you prefer that over the chocolate (just omit the chocolate and cocoa powder)

Ingredients:

• 6 egg whites
• 300g caster sugar
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (sieved)
• 1 teaspoon balsamic/red wine vinegar (use apple cider / white wine vinegar for the plain meringue)
• 50g dark chocolate (finely chopped) 

For the topping:

• 500ml double cream (whisked until thick) 
• 500 g raspberries
• 2-3 tablespoons coarsely grated dark chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg. Celcius , and place parchment paper over a baking tray 
2. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks
3. Beat in sugar, a little bit at a time, until meringue is stiff and shiny
4. Add the vinegar, cocoa, and chocolate and gently fold until everything is mixed together
5. Mound onto the baking sheet into a fat circle shape and smooth sides and top (Tip: draw an outline of a plate, roughly 23cm diameter, onto the parchment paper to get shape)
6. Place in oven, and immediately turn down the heat to 150 deg. C
7. Cook for about 1 hour to 1hr 15min
8. When done, it should look crisp around the edges and sides and should be dry on top.  To the touch, it should be a little squidgey (which means it's nice and chewy on the inside! :) )
9. Let meringue cool completely

To serve:

1. Invert onto a flat bottomed plate
2. Pile whisked cream on top of meringue
3. Scatter raspberries (or you can use any kind of berry you like), and grated chocolate on top

(Serves 8-10)

Interesting fact: This australian dessert is named after the famous Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, because she was the first one to try it during her trip to Australia!