Here in Scotland summerfruit season is reaching its peak, and it’s one of my favourite times of year in the kitchen as we head towards Lùnastal, the first of the harvest seasons. We’re planning a trip to our local pick your own next week, so I spent some time this week sorting the freezer and making some yummy things with last year’s berries to free up a little room to top it up with fresh ones this coming week. I wanted to make something to really celebrate them, and for me a summerfruit pavlova is the definition of a seasonal showstopper. Light but satisfying and balancing fruity and sweet flavours, it’s my ideal recipe for a gathering - especially as you can make all the elements in this recipe ahead of time.
Having bottled my elderflower last month, I’m now using the cordial to infuse my makes and bakes all summer long. You guys loved the elderflower drizzle cake almost as much as I did, so I thought I’d pair our favourite summer floral flavour with one of my summerfruit favourites: gooseberry. In this case, pink gooseberries picked in the Borders last year! The results of my kitchen experimentation are shared with you here: a gooey but crunchy pavlova filled with lightly whipped cream and an aromatic elderflower custard, all perfectly balanced by sharp gooseberries. If you can’t get your hands on them it would also be delicious with any sharp-flavoured summerfruit.