Anna Pavlova on Swiss meringue

Let's start by making the meringue. Separate the whites from the yolks and place them in a saucepan. It's important that the saucepan is clean and dry. Otherwise, the whites may not whip properly.

Add sugar and vanilla sugar to the whites. Mix.

Place the meringue in a double boiler and heat, stirring, until the sugar is completely dissolved, but not exceeding 50 degrees Celsius. Heating the egg whites in a double boiler is a distinctive feature of Swiss meringue. This makes the meringue more stable when piped, resistant to heat, and prevents it from becoming soggy under the influence of cream and fruit.

Pour the egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until stiff peaks form, starting at low speed and gradually increasing to high. This step takes about 4-5 minutes on average.

After the mixture has thickened, add lemon juice, starch and mix well again with a mixer.

Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a closed star tip (or any other tip) and pipe it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, creating a tart-like shape with a bottom and sides. If you don't have a pastry bag, you can simply spoon the meringue into the center and make a well in the center.

Preheat the oven to 100 degrees and let the meringue dry for 1.5-2 hours.

Prepare the cream. Pour the cream into the bowl of a stand mixer and add the powdered sugar. The cream must be cold, as this will help it whip faster and more easily. Whip until stiff peaks form.

Add the cheese and continue beating until you get a smooth and tender cream.

The dried meringues have a crispy crust on top and a delicate soufflé in the middle.

Wash, peel, and chop the fruit you've chosen. If you're using a banana or apple, sprinkle them with lemon juice to prevent them from browning.

We fill the centers of the cakes with fruit and make a cream cap on each cake.