Pavlova Base:

1) Preheat your oven to 200ºF. Trace 4 4-inch circles onto parchment paper. Flip the parchment paper over onto a baking sheet.

2) In a food processor, grind the sugar for 30-45 seconds until sandy but not powdered. Combine the sugar and cornstarch. Your sugar is now superfine.

3) Wipe down the bowl and attachment your stand mixer with the distilled vinegar. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment whip the egg on medium low until foamy. Once they foam, increase the speed to medium high and whip until soft peaks form.

4) Once soft peaks form, begin adding in the sugar mixture one tablespoon at a time. Continue to whip the mixture for 5-6 minutes until glossy soft peaks form and sugar is fully dissolved.*

5) Spoon the meringue equally onto the circles and smooth with the back of a spoon to form domes. Then make an indent in the middle of each dome using the back of a tablespoon scoop.

6) Bake meringues for 45 minutes at 200ºF. Then turn the oven off and crack the oven door ajar with a wooden spoon or stick. Let dry for 1 hour in that position.

Lemon Curd:

1) Combine the lemon juice, butter, salt, and 1/3 cup sugar together in a saucepan. Heat on low until the butter melts. In a separate bowl combine the yolks and rest of sugar.

2) Once the butter has melted, pour 1/3 of the stove mixture over the yolks and whisk vigorously. 

3) Pour the new yolk mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the lemon juice mixture and whisk on low heat until thick and reaches 170ºF on a thermometer (roughly 4-5 minutes).

4) Pour the curd into a heatproof bowl and let cool.

5) While lemon curd cools, whip the cream and powdered sugar together until medium peaks form.

6) Once lemon curd is cool, lightly fold the curd into the cream to form a fluffy tangy filling.

Assembly: 

1) When pavlovas are completely cool, spoon the lemon filling into the middle of their wells and top with chopped berries and lemon zest.**