In honor of our upcoming visit to London, we’re going to share some British recipes this month. Eton Mess is named for Eton College, the famous public boy’s school. Eton Mess is essentially juicy strawberries or strawberry compote, mixed with thick whipped cream and crushed meringue. It is so delicious! If you’re short on time you can use purchased meringues.
Holly has made this with meringue from chickens, ducks, and geese, and they all work. If you’re using waterfowl eggs you want to add a teaspoon of vinegar to the meringues before you whip them. This helps to denature the protein and helps them whip better. You want to make the meringues in advance (with the egg whites you’ll have leftover from the Golden Yolk Cake!) and store them in an airtight container. This recipe is naturally gluten free and can be dairy free with plant-based whipped cream.
We talk you through this Eton Mess recipe on Episode 232 of our podcast. If you enjoy this dessert, you may also like our recipes for Baked Alaska and Strawberry Mousse.
Ingredients
6 egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon to sprinkle over the strawberries
3 or 4 cups of strawberries, washed, stemmed, and cut into small chunks
1 pint of heavy whipping cream or diary free whipping cream.
½ powdered sugar
Directions
Make the meringues first since they take so long to bake and cool. You’ll need several hours between the baking and the assembly.
Preheat oven to 200. Line 1 or 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.
In large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until they form soft peaks. Continue beating, slowly adding in the granulated sugar. Beat until sugar is fully incorporated and the egg whites form stiff and shiny peaks.
You can either spread the meringue out on the parchment paper or dollop it into individual meringues. They both crumble easily enough.
Bake for 1.5-2 hours, checking for doneness every 10 minutes. When finished baking the meringue will be slightly browned and slightly cracked. Turn off the oven and leave the meringue in the oven to crisp up and cool completely. Store them in an airtight container to keep them crisp. Before serving, crush them into small pieces.
In a medium sized bowl, sprinkle the granulated sugar over the strawberries and set them aside. They’ll get nice and juicy as they rest. You can also cook your strawberries and make a compote, but it isn’t necessary. Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately.
In a medium or large mixing bowl, beat the whipped cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and beat until the whipped cream is thick and holds stiff peaks. Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately.
Assembly – You can layer Eton Mess in a trifle dish, but if it isn’t eaten right away the meringues get soggy. Over the years we’ve found that it’s better to assemble the components in a single serving parfait glass or bowl right before eating. Layer whipped cream, meringue, then strawberries, and roughly swirl them together. Serve and enjoy the deliciousness!