Eton Mess
This Eton Mess uses homemade or storebought meringues layered with soft whipped cream and strawberries two ways for a perfect summer dessert.
Servings 4 -5
Calories 332kcal
Ingredients
Meringues
- 76 grams / 2 large egg whites room temperature
- 100 grams / ½ cup superfine/caster sugar
Eton Mess
- 450 grams / 15.8 ounces strawberries hulled and roughly chopped
- 35 grams / 2 ½ tablespoons superfine/caster sugar
- 398 grams / 1 ⅔ cups heavy cream or 3 ⅓ cups soft peaks whipped cream
Instructions
Meringues
- Preheat your oven to 100C/212F and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper that has outlines marked underneath for the meringues. Set aside.
- For the homemade meringues, place the egg whites into a clean and dry bowl and beat on low-medium until soft peaks form, approximately 5 minutes.
- Continue beating, adding in 1 tablespoon of the sugar at a time and incorporating until dissolved, approximately 30 seconds before adding more sugar.
- Beat until stiff, glossy and all the sugar has been incorporated, approximately 8 minutes.
- Spoon the meringue evenly onto a baking tray and smooth out.
- Place into your oven and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Turn the oven off and allow to cool completely, minimum 2 hours before removing.
Strawberries
- Meanwhile, place half the strawberries into a bowl and scatter over 20 grams / 1 ½ tablespoons sugar over and mash or blend until smooth.
- Toss the remaining sugar into a large bowl and pour in the heavy cream, whipping until soft peaks form (the cream should just hold its shape).
Assembly
- Break up the meringues and add portions into serving glasses.
- Spoon over a heavy dollop of whipped cream, topping with a teaspoonful of strawberry puree and fresh berries.
- Repeat layering, creating a ripple appearance in your serving glasses.
- Serve up and dig in!
Video
Notes
- Eggs: The eggs whites should be room temperature because they allow for better aeration at room temperature resulting in a fluffier meringue.
- Fresh strawberries: Fresh strawberries are best! And the best way to clean them before use is in a bowl filled with filtered water and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Rinse and dry them off and they will keep for several days covered and refrigerated; meaning they will be good to prepare up to 4 days after cleaning for ripe fruit (over ripe will likely be best within 2 days).
- Heavy cream: Homemade lightly whipped cream to soft peaks is best, but if you want to make this an even easier and quicker dessert, feel free to replace with store-bought whipped cream.
Nutrition
Calories: 332kcal