Strawberry Pavlovas

Think of this beautiful messy dessert as a strawberry shortcake that swaps out meringue cookies for the shortcake. Pavlovas, which individual sized or larger, and whether they star strawberries or other fruit, also happen to be fabulous for entertaining, and brilliant for anyone who eats gluten-free. Don't worry if they break, or are misshapen – they look even nicer when they're artfully disheveled. Have last-minute guests and need to stretch the meringues to accommodate more strawberries and whipped cream? That's no problem either: Just use one meringue per dessert instead of two. The shells can be made up to one day in advance and stored overnight in airtight containers. 

Serves 4.

Ingredients

FOR THE PAVLOVA SHELLS:

3 large egg whites at room temperature

1 pinch of cream of tartar

7/8 cup (175 grams) sugar