Eton Mess
Eton Mess is a classic British dessert that’s perfect for the summertime! Layers of whipped cream, sweet strawberries and raspberries and crushed meringue make for the most delightful treat. You can make and bake the meringue a day-ahead so assembling is a breeze before or while you have guests over!
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Ingredients
4 egg whites, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1 ½ cups cold whipping cream
2 tbsp sugar
2 cups quartered strawberries
2 cups raspberries
Juice of half a lemon
2-3 tbsp sugar to taste
Mint for garnish
Servings: 6
Preparation: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 Minutes
Kitchen Equipment: sheet pan, stand or hand mixer
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Instructions:
To make the meringue:
- Preheat the oven to 250F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk the room temperature egg whites to stiff peaks on high speed in a clean bowl, either with a hand mixer with whisk attachment or stand mixer with whisk attachment.
- Add in sugar in 3 portions (⅓ cup each addition), re-whisking on high speed to stiff peaks after each addition. You should end up with a glossy white, egg white mixture with stiff peaks.
- Sift the cornstarch on top of the mixture and add the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Gently fold in the ingredients with a spatula to combine.
- Spread the mixture onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet, about ½ inch thickness.
- Bake on the lower rack of the preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes until meringue is completely hard on the outside and a corner of it will lift off the paper easily. Start checking around the 1 hour mark of cooking time.
- Once baked, let cool fully on the baking sheet.
To assemble the Eton Mess:
- Once the meringue has cooled, make the whipped cream by using a stand mixer or hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add 1 ½ cups cold whipping cream and 2 tbsp sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until fully whipped in soft peaks and spreadable. Set aside.
- Make the strawberry and raspberry mixture by adding strawberries, raspberries, lemon juice and sugar to a bowl. Use a fork to slightly crush the raspberries and strawberries and then mix everything together until the sugar is blended in. Set aside.
- Crush the meringue into pieces using your hands.
- To assemble the eton mess, in a glass or on a plate, start with a layer of whipped cream followed by a heaping spoonful of the berries and top with crushed up meringue pieces. Repeat the layers once more, dividing everything evenly over 4-6 cups or plates, garnish with mint if desired and then enjoy!
Recipe Pro Tips:
- Don’t have time to make your own meringue? Simply use store-bought meringue cookies that you can crush up.
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