A traditional English dessert of strawberries (or other berries), meringue and whipped cream. First mentioned in 1893 and generally attributed to Eton College, where it was served at the annual cricket match against Harrow School. Wonderfully light, sweet and surprisingly simple.
Eton mess
Region: Eton, Berkshire
Eton mess
Region: Eton, Berkshire
Method
01
Prepare the strawberries
Wash the strawberries and remove the hulls. Slice some for garnish. Roughly mash the rest with a fork or stick blender to a light sauce. If you like, add some icing sugar for extra sweetness.
02
Whip the cream
Whip the cream to soft peaks. Add the icing sugar and vanilla extract while whipping.
03
Crumble the meringues
Break the meringues into rough pieces and smaller crumbs. Aim for variation in texture.
04
Combine
Gently fold the meringue and strawberry purée through the whipped cream. Don't mix completely; the dessert should have a characteristic 'messy' look.
05
Serve
Spoon the mixture into glasses or small bowls. Garnish with the reserved strawberry slices and, if you like, some extra meringue crumbs.
Tips & notes
Only mix it together just before serving, otherwise the meringues go soft and the dessert loses its crunchy bite. Variations are endless: replace the strawberries with raspberries, blueberries or a mix of red fruit. Preferably buy unsprayed fruit. Eton mess cannot be stored, because the meringue goes soft. You can prepare the strawberry purée, the cream and the meringues separately a day ahead.
Variations
- Use mango and passion fruit for a tropical version.
- Add a splash of limoncello for a grown-up twist.
Contains:
Eggs
Milk
| Calories | 591 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 55 g |
| Fat | 40 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
