Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl on a stand mixer, whip the egg whites until they are foamy with stiff peaks.

While the egg whites are still whipping, gradually add the sugar and cornstarch mixture, 1 tbsp at a time, until the mixture becomes glossy and forms stiff peaks. The texture will resemble stiff shaving foam.

Add big spoonfuls of the meringue mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, with the meringues about 2 inches apart (see image above). I like to use a spoon to make the sides of the meringues a little higher than the centre, leaving a slight bowl like indent in the middle, this creates a nice little spot for the whipped cream and toppings.

Bake for 1 hour, until they are barely golden in colour, cracked and dry.

Set aside to cool completely before adding any whipped cream or toppings.

In a saucepan over low-medium heat, add the sugar and water. Stir and bring to a light boil to dissolve the sugar.

Add the chopped rhubarb and simmer for about 10 - 12 minutes, until the rhubarb is soft.

Remove from heat and let cool.

Using an electric mixer whip the whipping cream until it is fluffy. Note: I don't add sugar to the whipped cream because the pavlova and rhubarb  are sweet enough.  The unsweetened whipped cream is a nice balance to all the sweetness. But of course, you can add it if you wish.

Transfer the baked and cooled meringues onto serving plates.

Gently add spoonfuls of whipped cream, rhubarb cream and poached rhubarb to the meringues and enjoy right away!