Strawberry Kiwi Pavlova Tarts

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) sugar, divided
• 2 teaspoon (10 mL) cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) vanilla
• 1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) powdered sugar
• 12 fresh strawberries, quartered or sliced
• 2 ripe kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced

Method:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and grease it lightly.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until they start to form very soft peaks. Add 1/3 cup (75 mL) of the sugar, a spoonful at a time, while beating the mixture constantly until it forms a stiff and glossy meringue. (The mixture should be stiff enough to form a peak when you lift the beater out of the bowl.)
• In a small bowl, stir together the remaining sugar and the cornstarch. Very gently fold this mixture into the meringue using a rubber spatula and being careful not to deflate the foam. Finally, fold in the vinegar and the vanilla.
• On the prepared cookie sheets spoon out 8 mounds of meringue, four on each sheet with plenty of room between them. With a spoon, form the mounds of meringue into free-form tart shells, about 3 inches in diameter with the sides slightly higher than the middle. (They will expand somewhat as they bake.) Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, then turn off the oven and let cool in the oven for 3 hours.
• No more than an hour before serving, beat the cream with the powdered sugar until it forms soft peaks. Place a dollop of whipped cream into each pavlova shell. Top with the prepared fruit, arranging it attractively.