Searching for a quick, easy and delicious dessert? How about an Eton Mess?
Though this dessert looks fancy and impressive, it could not be easier to put together. A combination of whipped cream, crumbled meringue cookies and macerated fruit(typically strawberries); an eton mess is the complete package when it comes to dessert.
It is a traditional English dessert dating back to the late 1800’s. Though its name implies otherwise, this “mess” is elegant and quite frankly delicious. The balance of textures between the crunchy meringue cookies and the soft whipped cream is lovely. We all know strawberries and whipped cream are a match made in heaven, but this dessert goes once step further with sweet, crunchy meringue cookie crumbs in every bite.
To Make Eton mess:
- Make a batch of fresh whipped cream. I prefer chantilly cream, so I proceed with the following:
- In a chilled bowl, using the whisk attachment on an electronic mixer, whisk 8oz heavy cream on high until soft peaks form.
- Add 1/4 cup of sifted confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar) and a tsp pure vanilla extract. Whisk only until incorporated, do not overwhip.
- Crumble up a package of meringue cookies. You can make a homemade batch of course. A good recipe can be found here.
- Macerate 1 pint of sliced berries with 2 tbsp granulated sugar and the juice of one lemon. Stir and allow to sit for 20-30 minutes.
- In desired serving dishes: layer whipped cream, crumbled meringues, and macerated strawberries. Repeat until desired height.
- Serve immediately.
This dessert is lovely for a dinner party. It comes together so quickly and easily, but looks impressive. You can make in individual glasses or as one large trifle. If making one large trifle, you will have to adjust the recipe above to the size of your serving dish.
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