Mini Pavlova

1. Preheat your oven to 250F with the rack in the lower third of the oven. Place your egg whites and salt in a very clean glass or metal bowl. In a small bowl, mix together your cornstarch and sugar. In another small bowl, mix together your vinegar and vanilla. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Now we're ready to get whipping.

Making the Meringue

1. Using the wire whisks of your stand mixer or electric hand mixer, begin beating your egg white and salt mixture on a low speed, steadily increasing up to medium high. The whites will get frothy and then turn to soft peaks. (The egg whites have reached soft peaks when you can turn off your mixer and lift the beaters out of the fluffy egg whites and you get peaks that fold back down on themselves.)
2. Once the egg whites have reached soft peaks, start adding your sugar and cornstarch mixture, slowly (about 1-2 Tbsp at a time), while beating on medium high speed. Once all the sugar has been added, continue beating until the egg whites hold stiff peaks, this could take up to 5 minutes. (You've reached stiff peaks when you can turn off your mixer and lift the beaters out of the egg whites and you get peaks that stand at attention and don't fold over.)
3. Add the vinegar and vanilla mixture to the egg whites and beat for another 20-30 seconds, just until they are fully incorporated.

Baking the Meringue

1. Scoop the meringue onto the parchment lined baking sheet, using roughly 1/3 c for each mini pavlova. Gently shape the meringues into nests, with a slight indentation in the middle, leaving roughly 1 inch space between them. (The meringues will grow slightly in the oven.)
2. Put the meringue in the oven and bake for 45-55 min. The pavlova are done when the outside shell is starting to firm up and get dry to the touch (not tacky) and they are just starting to get lightly golden. (The shell will continue to dry out, but only a little, as they cool.)
3. Turn off the oven, leaving the pavlova inside. (This will allow the pavlova to cool slowly, keeping them from falling due to drastic temperature shifts.) Leave the pavlova in the oven 1-2 hours, or until cooled. (They can be left in the oven overnight as long as your house isn’t humid.)
4. To store the pavlova shells, place them in an airtight container on the counter. They will keep this way for several days.
5. Just before serving, top the pavlovas with whipped cream and fresh fruit.