By Chef Laura Sharrad

We’re excited to have celebrity chef, author of My Italian Kitchen, TV personality and restaurant owner, Laura Sharrad, share some of her favourite recipes. Check out her sweet Pavlova Wreath.

Pavlova Wreath

Serves 8–10

INGREDIENTS

Base:

• 225 g (about 6) eggwhites
• Salt, pinch
• 370 g caster sugar
• 3 tsp rosewater, or to taste
• 1½ tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 2 tsp cornflour

Topping:

• 800 ml thickened cream
• 2 tbs icing sugar
• 2 punnets strawberries
• 2 punnets blueberries
• 2 punnets raspberries
• 2 punnets blackberries
• 8 passionfruits

Garnish:

• 2 tbs rose petals
• Honey, to drizzle

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 150°C.
2. Trace 2 x 23cm-diameter circles on a large piece of baking paper and place pencil-side down on lightly oiled baking trays.
3. Whisk eggwhites and a pinch of salt in an electric mixer until soft peaks form (4–5 minutes), then, with motor running, gradually add 330 g sugar and whisk until firm and glossy (2–3 minutes).
4. Whisk in rosewater, vinegar and vanilla, then fold in the cornflour.
5. Use a dessert spoon to dish out half the meringue mix onto the baking paper into a circle to form a ring. Then repeat so you have two rings.
6. Gently place in oven, reduce to 120°C and bake until crisp but not coloured (75–90 minutes).
7. Turn heat off and cool completely in oven with door closed (at least 6 hours or overnight).
8. Put cream and icing sugar in a fresh bowl and beat until thickened.
9. Use half the cream to ice one meringue, then top with half the berries.
10. Very carefully stack the second meringue ring on top, ice it with cream and add the remaining berries.
11. Drizzle a good amount of honey all over and garnish with rose petals.

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Visit us online or at your local Early Settler store to check out this season’s furniture and homewares range. And find more scrumptious appetiser, dinner, cocktail and dessert recipes for your entertaining.

Laura Sharrad

Originally from Melbourne before relocating to McLaren Vale in South Australia, Laura Sharrad grew up with a wooden spoon in her hand cooking beside her nonnas. Her rich Italian heritage has played a heavy hand in her epicurean journey, which was further strengthened after living in Tuscany. A former MasterChef contestant and an extensively trained chef, the impressive career of this now-25-year-old has leapt from strength to strength. Laura recently opened her own restaurant, Nida Bar and Pasta, with her husband and fellow chef, Max Sharrad. With another restaurant and cookbook in the works, Laura says the long‑term dream is to buy a property on the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, teach students to cook and grow produce for a small sustainable restaurant.

Instagram: @laurasharrad