Eton Mess is a British dessert that's an unapologetic mishmash of fruit, cream and crumbled meringues. Its messy appearance belies it's swoon-worthy results with gently sweetened and ethereal whipped cream punctuated by crispy shards of meringue and juicy berries. Its disheveled appearance also means that you can't go wrong when preparing this dessert. The only effort required is a little cream-whipping –– and to try not to get too carried away with licking the spoon.
Strawberry Eton Mess
This recipe showcases the season's fresh strawberries. If you feel like challenging yourself, go ahead and make your own meringues, but store-bought meringues will do the trick.
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 1 pound strawberries
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 (3-inch) meringue shells or 12 meringue buttons, coarsely crumbled
Directions
- Set aside 3 unblemished strawberries. Hull and quarter the remaining berries, then place in a bowl Add 1 tablespoon sugar and stir to coat.
- Whip the cream and mascarpone in the bowl of electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until it begins to thicken. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and the vanilla. Continue to beat until soft peaks form.
- Fold the quartered strawberries into the cream, then fold in the meringues with any fine sugary dust. Spoon into glasses or serving bowls. Cut the reserved strawberries in half lengthwise and arrange on top of the cream as garnish.
