Adam Liaw tops a pavlova base with the flavours that would normally go inside a Christmas pudding. The most important point when you're making pavlova is making sure the sugar has completely dissolved. Take a little bit of the meringue between 2 fingers, and if you can feel any grains of sugar, continue whisking.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 egg whites
• 1½ cups (330g) caster sugar
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• pinch of salt

Toppings

• grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 orange, peeled and segmented without pith
• ¼ cup glace orange
• ¼ cup glace ginger, finely chopped
• 1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
• ½ cup mixed dried fruit
• 2 cups whole cherries
• maple syurp, to drizzle
• cinnamon, to sprinkle

Spice and brandy cream

• 300ml thickened cream
• 3 tbsp brandy (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

METHOD

1. Heat your oven to 110C fan-forced (130C conventional) and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle in the caster sugar a tablespoon at a time and continue to beat until glossy. About halfway through adding the sugar, stir the cornflour, cream of tartar and salt into the remaining sugar and continue adding to the eggwhites, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat for a further 10 minutes after all the sugar has been added. (The whole process should take about 15-20 minutes.)
3. Spread the meringue onto the baking paper in a 20cm circle. (Tip: if you keep adding meringue to the centre and pushing it down it will form an attractive natural edge to the pavlova.) Bake the pavlova for 90 minutes and then turn off the oven, allowing the pavlova to slowly cool in the oven for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
4. Whip the cream together with the ingredients for the spice and brandy cream. Top the meringue base with the cream and decorate with the toppings.

Serves 8

This recipe features in Good Food Christmas, screening on Channel 9 at 5.30pm on Saturday, December 4, or catch up on 9Now.