Eton Mess
A classic English (or is it? Hmmm ...) recipe, simple enough to make even on the busiest day.
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites or 3 medium egg whites
- 120 grams caster/grantulated sugar (or 4 ounces)
- 500 grams fresh strawberries, prepped, core removed and roughly chopped (about 1 lb)
- 450 ml heavy cream (double cream), or about 1 pint
- 1 Tbsp powdered sugar/icing sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
Making the Meringues
- If you are choosing to make the meringues (many bakeries have their own, just do your best to purchase freshly made, so they are terribly hard all the way through, and only on the exterior), follow these instructions.
- Heat the oven (convection or fan) to 225 degrees Fahrenheit (or 100-120 celsius). Let the oven preheat while you make the meringue.
- Whisk the egg whites either by hand with a whisk or with a hand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk until stiff peaks form.
- Add the caster/granulated sugar gradually to the egg whites, mixing in a little at a time until stiff peaks form each time. This may take some time. Be sure to use the freshest eggs you can find. While they will take longer to whip the proteins of the egg whites into a foam, when the foam finally does form, it is firmer and more stable. In other words, keep whisking (this is where a hand mixer or mixing stand becomes the favorite kitchen tool in your kitchen ☺️).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and using a large spoon, place large dollops of the meringue on the parchment. Create peaks so you have texture (but even if your meringue is not as stiff as you would like, cook them anyway. they will still taste amazing).
- Bake on the lowest rack in your oven (make sure it is on fan or convection oven) for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. The test to determine if they are done - they are sold - entirely firm and easily come off the parchment . Let them cool for at least 30 minutes, but even longer would be helpful as you are going for the crunch that the cooling creates.
Strawberry Mixture
- In a small sauce pan add 1/3 of the chopped strawberries, 1 tsp lemon juice, cook over low-medium heat. This called blitzing on many British recipes. You are making the sauce and creating an additional layer of strawberry flavor. This will take time, maybe 7-10 minutes. Be patient. Using a wooden spoon to stir from time to time. You can remove when the consistency you prefer is reached. I wait until while I can still see 'strawberries', they are macerated and quite a bit of juice as been rendered.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the heavy cream and powdered sugar, whisking until stiff peaks form.
- Gently crush or crumble in rough pieces 1/3 of the meringues and mix with the remaining strawberries. Then add the strawberry sauce and mix gently until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
To Serve
- Choose champagne coups or unique clear glass serving dishes so guests can see the ingredients.
- Add a large dollop of the mixture of strawberries, sauce and 1/3 of the meringues to each of the dishes. Fill to near the top.
- Crumble the remaining meringues on top of each Eton Mess serving. Add a freshly chopped strawberry to the top of each dessert if preferred.
- Serve with a spoon and enjoy!