​Strawberry, Lime, and Basil Pavlova with Whipped Cream

It just so happens this pavlova requires the exact number of egg whites leftover from the Chocolate Creme Pie.... ;)
Serves 10
​For foolproof pavlova, we switched from the typical French meringue—which requires precise timing when adding the sugar to the egg whites—to a Swiss meringue, which is made by dissolving the sugar in the egg whites as they are heated over a simmering water bath and then whipping the mixture to stiff peaks. Cornstarch and vinegar produced a meringue that was marshmallowy within, with a slight chew at the edge; a generous amount of sugar ensured a crisp exterior. We shaped the meringue into a wide, flat disk and then baked it and let it dry in a turned-off oven. Lightly sweetened whipped cream and fresh fruit balanced the meringue's sweetness and made for a beautiful presentation of colors and textures. Letting the finished meringue sit for a few minutes before serving helped soften the crust for neater slices.

​- Cook's Illustrated
Ingredients
Meringue
  • 1 ½ cups (10½ ounces) sugar
  • ¾ cup (6 ounces) egg whites (5 to 7 large eggs)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
  • 2 pounds strawberries, hulled and quartered (5 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon grated lime zest plus 1½ teaspoons juice
  • Pinch salt
  • ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil, plus 10 small leaves, divided
Whipped Cream
  • 2 cups heavy cream, chilled
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

​Equipment
Directions
For the Meringue:
  1. For the Meringue: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Using pencil, draw 10-inch circle in center of 18 by 13-inch piece of parchment paper.
  2. Combine sugar and egg whites in bowl of stand mixer; place bowl over saucepan filled with 1 inch simmering water, making sure that water does not touch bottom of bowl. Whisking gently but constantly, heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture registers 160 to 165 degrees, 5 to 8 minutes.
  3. Fit stand mixer with whisk attachment and whip mixture on high speed until meringue forms stiff peaks, is smooth and creamy, and is bright white with sheen, about 4 minutes (bowl may still be slightly warm to touch). Stop mixer and scrape down bowl with spatula. Add vinegar, cornstarch, and vanilla and whip on high speed until combined, about 10 seconds.
  4. Spoon about ¼ teaspoon meringue onto each corner of rimmed baking sheet. Press parchment, marked side down, onto sheet to secure. Pile meringue in center of circle on parchment. Using circle as guide, spread and smooth meringue with back of spoon or spatula from center outward, building 10-inch disk that is slightly higher around edges. Finished disk should measure about 1 inch high with ¼-inch depression in center.
  5. Bake meringue until exterior is dry and crisp and meringue releases cleanly from parchment when gently lifted at edge with thin metal spatula, 1 to 1½ hours. Meringue should be quite pale (a hint of creamy color is OK). Turn off oven, prop door open with wooden spoon, and let meringue cool in oven for 1½ hours. Remove from oven and let cool completely before topping, about 15 minutes. (Cooled meringue can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 1 week.)
For the topping:
  1. ​Toss strawberries with sugar, lime zest and juice, and salt in large bowl. Set aside for 30 minutes.
For the Whipped Cream:
  1. Before serving, stir chopped basil into strawberry mixture. Whip cream and sugar in chilled bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment on low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and whip until whisk leaves trail, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and continue to whip until cream is smooth, thick, and nearly doubled in volume, about 20 seconds longer for soft peaks. If necessary, finish whipping by hand to adjust consistency.
To assemble:
  1. Carefully peel meringue away from parchment and place on large serving platter. Spoon whipped cream into center of meringue. Using slotted spoon, spoon topping in even layer over whipped cream. Garnish with basil leaves. Let stand for at least 5 minutes or up to 1 hour. Slice and serve, drizzling pavlova slices with any juice from bowl.​
Source

Notes:
  • Cook's Illustrated recommends weighing the whites to ensure you have the right amount, since eggs can vary in size. 
  • Do not substitute frozen for fresh strawberries here.