Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. For same size nests, draw 3 inch circles on the parchment paper and turn the paper upside down.

Pavlova Nests: Beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Add salt and cream of tarter, and beat at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar one tablespoon at a time and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Put meringue in a pastry bag with a decorator tip (I used Wilton 1M). Outline the nests and fill the bottoms with meringue. Build up the nests with two rows of meringue.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the nests are dry to the touch. Turn off the oven and leave the nests in the oven for 2 hours to continue to dry out.

Optional curd: spoon a tablespoon or so of curd in bottom of nests before the whipped cream.

Whipped Cream Filling: Beat the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract on high speed until soft peaks form. Pipe the filling into the nests.

Top with fruit and perhaps a mint leaf and enjoy right away.

Bake ahead: Bake and store 3–5 days before serving. Cool fully in the turned-off oven. Store in an airtight container immediately after cooling to prevents moisture from making them sticky or chewy. Optional, include food-safe silica gel packets in the container to absorb moisture. Keep at room temp in a cool, dry place. Do not refrigerate or freeze, or theyll become sticky and lose crispness. Place parchment paper between layers to prevent them from sticking.