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Authentic Eton Mess Recipe
Eton, England
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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Refreshing and delicious, yet so simple to make, Eton Mess is a traditional British dessert known worldwide. Around for over a century, the dessert has seen many variations; however, the traditional recipe remains fairly uncomplicated. The treat is made out of strawberries, whipped cream, egg whites, and sugar. Egg whites and sugar are mixed together in a bowl, then dropped in even amounts onto a baking tray. Once baked, the meringue has to cool down completely, preferably overnight, before it is ready to be broken into smaller pieces. Strawberries are washed, hulled, and chopped, then, together with the meringue, folded into whipped cream. There are numerous variations on the original recipe, including the use of different types of fruit (blueberries, pomegranate, passion fruit, oranges, and more) and flavorings, such as chocolate, rosewater, and mint. The treat is usually served in glass serving cups or a bigger serving dish.
Cooking tips
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preparation
The meringues must be made ahead, at least a few hours or even the day before, so they have enough time to cool down completely. The whipped cream and the strawberries can also be prepared a few hours before serving time. -
storage
Once all the ingredients are mixed together, the dessert should be eaten that same day, because if stored, the meringue will start to soften pretty quickly. -
meringue
If you are in a hurry or simply not in the mood for baking meringue, you can opt for a store-bought version. Store-bought meringue nests save time and make this dessert even faster to prepare. -
fruit
When feeling inspired, you can replace the strawberries with different fruit. For example, you can use coconut, raspberries, blueberries, pomegranate, passion, fruit, or redcurrants. Some berries, like redcurrants or gooseberries, might need a bit more sugar or cooking into a rough compote before use. -
flavorings
For more adult versions of the dessert, add some alcohol to the mixture. Triple sec or Crème de cassis go nicely with strawberries, while rum fits perfectly with bananas. You can also try adding some spices to the whipped cream – for example, pair black pepper with strawberries and crushed cardamom, cinnamon, or nutmeg with bananas.
Recipe variations
Eton Mess
PREP 20min
COOK 1h 15min
READY IN 1h 35min
The traditional version contains only the above mentioned ingredients. The following recipe is by Sophie Godwin and has been adapted from BBC's Good Food website (www.bbcgoodfood.com).
Ingredients
2 large egg whites
120 g caster sugar
500 g strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
450 ml double cream
1 tbsp icing sugar
Preparation
Step 1/2
Beat the egg whites in a large mixing bowl until stiff peaks are formed. Gradually start adding caster sugar, all the while beating. Preheat the oven to 120℃ and cover a large baking tray with some parchment paper. Using a spoon, grab portions of the meringue mixture and drop them onto the baking tray. Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 1hr-1hr15mins until the meringues have hardened completely. Let them cool.
Step 2/2
In a big bowl, whip the cream with the icing sugar. Blend 1/3 of the strawberries into the strawberry sauce. Separate ¾ of the cooled meringues, crush them, and gently mix them with chopped strawberries. Finally, add strawberry sauce to the mixture. Fill the bowls with the mixture, then crush the leftover meringues and sprinkle the pieces over the top.
Other Variations
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