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Authentic Eton Mess Recipe Alternate Text 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

  • 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

Scented Eton Mess

PREP 30min

READY IN 30min

4.4

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This different take on Eton Mess is adapted from Joanna Weinberg's Cooking for Real Life: More Than 180 Recipes for Whatever Life Throws at You. The special ingredient is rosewater, which really brings out the fragrance of the strawberries. 

Ingredients

4 Servings

Scented Eton Mess

250 g ripe strawberries

1 tablespoon rosewater

2 tablespoons caster sugar

200 ml whipping cream

4 individual meringue nests or 1 large meringue base

Preparation

1

Scented Eton Mess

Step 1/3

First, wash, hull, and cut the strawberries into small chunks. Top them with sugar, rosewater, and a sparse turn of black pepper. Set them aside to soak for at least 15 mins.

Step 2/3

Whip the cream until soft peaks are formed. After the strawberries have soaked, smash them with a fork.

Step 3/3

Break the bought meringues into smaller pieces and mix them gently with cream and strawberries. Serve into glasses.

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