Eton mess is a classic British dessert made of a mixture of fresh fruit, cream and crushed baked meringue. It’s deliciously simple and perfect for lazy summer days when berries are in season and the less time spent in the kitchen the better.
Strawberry Eton Mess
Eton mess is a classic British dessert made of a mixture of fresh fruit, cream and crushed baked meringue. It’s deliciously simple and perfect for lazy summer days when berries are in season and the less time spent in the kitchen the better. Of course, you could make meringue cookies from scratch, but if you choose to buy them, there will be very little work to do. A little lime zest and juice gives this simple dessert an essential sweet-tart edge, though lemon would do the trick as well.
Ingredients
- 5 ounces vanilla meringue cookies
- 1½ pounds fresh strawberries
- 2 teaspoons lime zest plus 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 to 4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
Directions
Transfer the meringue cookies to a large, resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to lightly crush the cookies. (You should have pieces of varying sizes.)
Trim the berries, discarding the greens. Halve or quarter 1 pound of the strawberries; add to a medium bowl. Blend or mash the remaining ½ pound strawberries until you have a chunky purée. Add the strawberry purée, lime zest, lime juice and 2 to 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar to the chopped strawberries and toss to coat. (The better the strawberries, the less sugar you’ll need.)
In a large bowl, beat the cream with 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high until whipped cream holds stiff peaks. Fold the crumbled meringue into the whipped cream.
Starting and ending with the strawberry mixture, layer it with the cream mixture in individual serving dishes (preferably clear cups, bowls or jars), creating as many layers as you like. Serve immediately.
- The lime zest and juice gives this dish a special touch. Don’t skip it.
- The ratio of whipped cream to strawberries can be adjusted to taste. More strawberry mixture can be used if preferred.
- The meringue cream can be quite sweet. Adjust the amount of sugar to taste.
- This dessert can also be made with British meringues for a less sweet option.
- Homemade Limoncello can be added for an extra flavor boost.
412 calories· 30 grams fat· 18 grams saturated fat· 0 grams trans fat· 9 grams monounsaturated fat· 1 gram polyunsaturated fat· 35 grams carbohydrates· 2 grams dietary fiber· 32 grams sugars· 3 grams protein· 51 milligrams sodium·