My Best Pavlova

Preheat oven to 150C/130C fan/300F/Gas 2. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and draw a 20cm (8in) circle on it.

In a large, clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are just holding their shape.

Gradually whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, making sure it dissolves before the next batch, until you have a thick and glossy meringue. Whisk in the lemon juice and cornflour.

Dollop all the mixture in a pile in the center of the drawn circle. Gently spread out to fill the circle, as if you were icing a cake, keeping it nice and high, then smooth around the outside of the pavlova and drag the spoon up at an angle and slightly tilted inwards to form deep durrows around the circumference.

Bake for 20 mins, then turn down the oven to 110C/90C fan/225F Gas ¼ and cook for a further of 1- 1 and a half hours until the shell is nice and crisp. Turn the oven off but leave the pavlova inside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the syrup. Put the wine, sugar and vanilla pod and seeds into a pan with a good squeeze of lemon juice and thyme leaves. Place over a low heat and gently melt the sugar, then increase the heat and bubble until it’s lightly syrupy and coats the back of a spoon.

Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil. Make a small cross in the bottom of each peach and then drop them into the water for 20 seconds. Remove and plunge into a bowl of cold water.

Carefully peel and halve them and remove the stones and slice. Pou the warm rosé syrup over the pieces (discard the vanilla pod) and set aside to cook.

When you are ready to serve, lightly whip the cream. Put the pavlova on a serving plate and pile the cream in the center. Top with the peaches and syrup and scatter with raspberries.