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Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh’s new baking and desserts cookbook ‘Sweet’ features simple treats, alongside recipes for showstopping confections.

This is the showstopper to serve as part of a big summer meal – a real statement! – huge and divine. Don’t be put off by its size, though: the larger pavlovas are actually easier to roll than the smaller ones. There’s always a moment when rolling a pavlova when you think ‘It’s not going to come together!’, but hold your nerve and trust in the recipe: it’s actually very forgiving.

We pair late-summer peaches with the blackberries of early autumn, but meringue is so versatile that you can add whatever fruit filling you like, depending on what’s in season: fresh berries – raspberries, strawberries, blueberries – slow-cooked quince or plums: they all work well. You can also play around with fillings. Try vanilla and chopped pistachios with strawberry (or mixed berries); or mango, lime and
passionfruit works well with whipped cream flavoured with finely grated lime zest.

serves 10–12

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250g egg whites (from 6 large eggs, so you might want to buy egg whites in a carton), at room temperature (they whisk better if not fridge-cold)
375g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp cornflour

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filling

400ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
30g icing sugar, sifted, plus extra to dust
5 large, ripe peaches, washed but unpeeled, stone removed and cut into 0.5cm wide segments (600g)
300g fresh blackberries
60g toasted flaked almonds

The meringue base (unfilled) can be prepared up to a day ahead. Leave it in the tin and drape with a tea towel until needed. You are then ready to fill it with the fruit and cream up to 4 hours before (but ideally as close as possible to) serving.

This should be eaten on the day it is assembled and served, although leftovers can be stored in the fridge and eaten cold.

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas Mark 7. Line a 35 x 30cm shallow baking tray with baking parchment, so the paper rises 2cm over the sides of the tin.

2. To make the meringue base, place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment in place and whisk on a medium-high speed for about 1 minute, until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, whisking all the time for at least 5 minutes, until the mixture turns into a thick and glossy meringue. Reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla extract, vinegar and cornflour. Increase the speed to medium and whisk for a minute, until fully combined.

3. Spoon the meringue mix into the lined tin and use a spatula to spread it out evenly in the tray. Place in the preheated oven and immediately lower the temperature to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6: the contrast in temperature helps create the crisp outside along with the gooey marshmallow-like inside. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the meringue is pale beige in colour and crusty on top. Remove from the oven and set aside until completely cool. The meringue will have puffed up in the oven but will deflate slightly when cooled. If keeping until the next day, the meringue can now be covered with a tea towel and set aside at room temperature.

4. To make the filling, beat the cream until very soft peaks form – this should take about 1 minute using an electric whisk on a medium-high speed, longer if whisking by hand. Add the vanilla and icing sugar and whisk to incorporate.

5. Place a clean tea towel flat on top of the meringue (or use the one that is already there, if you’ve made this the day before) and quickly but carefully invert it on to the work surface, so that the crisp top of the meringue is now facing down and sitting on top of the tea towel. Lift the tin off and carefully peel away the baking parchment before spreading the meringue evenly with two-thirds of the whipped cream. Cover generously with 500g sliced peaches and 200g blackberries, and sprinkle over 50g almonds.

6. To roll the meringue, start with the longest side closest to you and, using the tea towel to assist you, roll the meringue up and over, so that the edges come together to form a log. Gently pull away the tea towel as you roll, then slide the meringue on to a long tray or a platter, with the seam side facing down. Don’t worry if the meringue loses its shape a bit or some of the fruit spills out: just hold your nerve and use your hands to pat it back into the shape of the log.

7. Pipe or spoon the remaining cream down the length of the roulade. Top with the remaining fruit, 10g almonds, a dusting of icing sugar and serve.

Sweet by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh to be published by Ebury Press