Pavlova with cherries — recipe for a gluten-free, fruity meringue pie

While the origin of many dishes can be traced back to the distant past, there's often much debate surrounding who actually created and invented it. The Pavlova is no different as the nationality of its creator has been the source of argument between Australia and New Zealand since the 1920s. But there's no need to worry about all of that — let's get baking!

You'll need:

For the cherry sauce:

• 6.8 fl oz cherry juice (for the glass)
• 1 tsp vanilla flavoring
• 1 tbsp lemon juice 
• 1-2 tbsp cornstarch
• 8.8 oz pitted cherries

For the cream filling:

• ½ cup mascarpone
• ⅖ cup icing sugar
• 6.8 fl oz whipping cream

For the Pavlova:

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt

Here's how:

1. Add the cherry juice, vanilla flavoring, and lemon juice to a pot and bring everything to the boil. Next, take a tablespoon of the sauce and mix it with the cornstarch. Now add the mix to the boiling sauce. Once thickened, take the sauce off the heat and mix it with the cherries.
2. Use an electric whisk to stir the mascarpone and icing sugar into a creamy mixture. Then carefully fold the whipped cream into it.
3. Whisk the egg whites with the sugar, baking powder, and salt until they're very stiff. Then spoon the meringue mix onto a baking tray forming two equally-sized circles. Bake the meringues at 350°F for one hour and 15 minutes.
4. Once the Pavlova has completely cooled, spoon half of the cream onto one of the meringues before garnishing it with some of the cherry sauce. Now place the second meringue on top before covering it with the rest of the cream and cherry sauce.

Well, there are two things that cannot be argued: 1. The Swiss definitely didn't invent it. 2. This light and airy meringue pie is a delicious delight like no other. Enjoy!