What is Eton Mess?
Eton Mess is a traditional British dessert. It consists of meringue, whipped cream and traditionally, strawberries, mixed together. It is said to have been invented at Eton College when a Labrador sat on a Pavlova during an Eton ceremony. There are other speculations about how this dessert came to be but to be honest, I don’t care about any of them. All I know is this is one of the most delicious desserts you can make. And eat. The soft whipped cream, tart berries and crunchy meringue mixture is pure joy.
Ingredients needed
This Eton mess recipe is so simple and requires only a handful of ingredients. Of course you can make your own meringues but I prefer using store-bought to cut down on prep time. Use fresh cream for the best result and any berries of your choice.
Cream. Heavy cream or whipping cream. Icing / Confectioner’s sugar. Fresh berries. I used raspberies, blueberries and chopped strawberries. Blackberries will also be delicious. Meringues/Meringue cookies/Meringue kisses. I use ready-made mini meringues but you can use my swiss meringue recipe and bake your own if you prefer or use a store-bought pavlova and break it up.
How to make Eton Mess (summary)
Combine the berries and sifted icing/powdered sugar. Blend with an immersion blender (or in a food processor) until smooth then set the purée aside. You can make a fresh strawberry sauce or raspberry sauce by using this same method if you prefer. Using a whisk and a large mixing bowl (or use an electric mixer), whip the cream (make sure it’s nice and cold) in a large bowl with icing sugar until soft peaks form. Feel free to add a teaspoon of vanilla extract too if you’d like. Fold in a few tablespoons of the berry sauce. Lightly break up the meringues and slice the strawberries (if using). Layer with the whipped cream, berry sauce and fresh berries in serving glasses.
Can you make Eton Mess in advance?
The berry sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept covered in the fridge. The cream can be whipped up to an hour in advance and kept in the fridge, you might just need to re-whip it a little. The assembled dessert is best eaten straight away but can be kept in the fridge for up to an hour in advance.
Easy berry recipes
