INGREDIENTS
6 egg whites, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/3 cups baker's sugar
3 pints strawberries
1 cup heavy whipping cream
DIRECTIONS
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a half sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray lightly with vegetable oil cooking spray.
Combine egg whites, vanilla, vinegar, and cornstarch in a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer.
Whip, using either a standing mixer or a handheld mixer, until soft peaks form.
Slowly incorporate the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, whipping all the time.
Continue beating the mixture until stiff peaks form.
Spoon the mixture into six evenly-sized mounds on the prepared pan. Smooth the tops decoratively.
Put the pan in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 250 degrees.
Bake until the pavlovas are crisp on the outside but still tender on the inside, about 45 minutes. Check on them periodically (through the glass, if possible), to be sure that they are not browning or cracking. If they are doing either, lower the heat by 25 degrees. You may have to add some cooking time if you lower the temperature.
Now, when the pavlovas seem crisp but still tender on the outside, turn off the oven, leaving the pan in the oven with the door closed. Leave the pavlovas to cool in the cooling oven with the door closed for 30 minutes. Then open the oven door partially and leave for 10 additional minutes. Now remove the pan from the oven and carefully transfer the pavlovas to a rack to cool completely. If you allow them to cool completely on the pan, they are liable to stick. The cooking spray is a bit of insurance against this.
TOPPINGS
Trim the stems and leaves from the strawberries and cut the berries in halves or quarters, depending on their size. Put the cut strawberries in a bowl. Stir to coat and leave to macerate at room temperature for at least one and up to six hours, stopping by to stir them every once in a while.
Just before you're ready to serve the pavlovas, whip the cream. Place each pavlova on a plate and top each with a sixth of the whipped cream and then a sixth of the berries.
Serve immediately.
