Strawberry Almond Pavlova

method:

• Preheat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1. Grease and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
• Whisk the egg whites in a very clean bowl until stiff. Add the sugar, very slowly, until it is fully mixed in.
• Pipe the meringue mixture either in a large circle or two heart shapes on the baking tray. Bake in the oven for approximately one hour, then switch the oven off and leave the meringue in the oven until cool.
• Whip the double cream with the icing sugar and the vanilla. Hull the strawberries and slice them.
• Serve the meringue on a round platter with the cream on top and decorate with the strawberry pieces and toasted almond flakes. If you have made two heart shapes you can divide the whipped cream and strawberries into two portions, using one to sandwich the hearts together and the remaining portion on top. Decorate with toasted almond flakes.