We love the British strawberry season - when the plump, scarlet berries line our shop shelves, tempting us with their deliciously sweet perfume, instantly transporting us to hot, lazy summer picnics and laughter-filled garden barbecues - accompanied by plenty of gin cocktails, of course!

In this easy dessert recipe, we’ve enhanced the flavour of fresh strawberries with the addition of our favourite tipple - by marinading them in a sweet, gin-spiked syrup - and then piled them high upon pillows of airy meringue and whipped cream to create a stunning summer berry pavlova!

When you’re buying your strawberries, look for berries that are bright red, are not too squishy or too hard, have fresh green leaves and don’t have any marks or bruises. The sweeter and stronger their aroma, the better and riper the strawberry is likely to be, and small or medium-sized strawberries usually have more flavour than the huge ones.

Top tip: strawberries go off very quickly, so try to eat them within 2-3 days of purchase (you can freeze them in a single layer, too). Also, strawberries absorb water so it’s better to buy organic, if possible, and wipe them with kitchen paper or a damp cloth rather than washing them, otherwise they will become bloated and soggy.

Strawberry Gin Pavlova

Ingredients:

To make the meringue:
6 egg whites, room temperature
350g caster sugar
1/4tsp corn flour
1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

To make the strawberry gin coulis:
200g fresh strawberries
100ml gin
4 sprigs of rosemary (optional)
4 tbsp caster sugar

For the topping:
150g white chocolate, melted (optional)
600ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g fresh strawberries, quartered and hulled
2 sprigs of rosemary

Method: 

    1. To start, add the fresh strawberries, gin and rosemary to a bowl and leave to steep in the fridge whilst you make the meringue.

    2. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

    3. To make the meringue, add the egg whites to a free-stand mixer and whisk until they form stiff peaks. Gradually add the sugar, making sure it is well combined after each addition, and whisk until the meringue looks glossy. Whisk in the corn flour, vanilla and vinegar.

    4. Pour the meringue mixture out onto the prepared baking tray and using a spatula, spread out the mixture into an even layer.

    5. Turn down the oven to 140C/120C fan and bake the meringue for an hour. Once the pavlova has baked, turn off the oven and let the meringue cool completely in the oven.

    6. Whilst the meringue cools, make the strawberry and rosemary coulis by adding the steeped strawberries and gin to a saucepan. Add the sugar and set over a medium-low heat. Stir until the strawberries begin to break up and the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove from the heat and place the mixture into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Push the strawberry mixture through a sieve and then set aside to cool.

    7. Once the meringue has cooled, melt the white chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of boiling water or in the microwave. Once the chocolate has melted, paint the top of the meringue and leave the chocolate to cool.

    8.  In the meantime, add the double cream and vanilla extract to a free-stand mixer, and whisk until soft peaks form.

    9. Spoon the whipped cream over the white chocolate covered meringue, and then drizzle over the strawberry and rosemary coulis. Top with quartered strawberries and then decorate with sprigs of Rosemary (although these should be removed before enjoying a big slice of the meringue.)

This dessert should be served immediately once constructed. You can make the meringue in advance and it will keep for 2-3 days if stored in an air tight container.