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5.0 from 3 votes

Eton Mess

Eton mess is a traditional English dessert made from a blend of strawberries (or bananas), crushed meringue and slightly sweetened whipped cream.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 6 personnes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British

Ingredients

For the meringue
  • 2 large eggs (at room temperature since the day before)
  • ⅓ cup caster sugar
  • ⅔ cup icing sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon juice (without the pulp)
  • 1 pinch salt
For the cream
  • 1 lb strawberries
  • 2 cups heavy cream (very cold)
  • 4 drops vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons icing sugar
Equipment
  • Stand mixer

Instructions

Meringue
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 195 F / 90 C.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites and salt at maximum power until they become foamy.
  3. Stir in a tablespoon of caster sugar and the lemon juice.
  4. Beat for about 1 minute without reducing the power so that the sugar has time to dissolve in the egg whites.
  5. When the egg whites for a soft peak, add the remaining caster sugar and continue whisking at medium speed for 1 minute.
  6. When the meringue is firm and shiny, gently add the icing sugar and whisk at low speed for 4 to 5 minutes. The meringue must be very smooth, very white and especially very dense.
  7. Place the meringues on a silicone mat or parchment paper, giving them the desired shape, using a piping bag or a teaspoon. Bake for 4 hours.
  8. Wait until the oven is completely cold before removing the meringues.
Cream
  1. Blend half of the strawberries to make a kind of coulis.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon icing sugar and mix again for 2 minutes.
  3. Whisk the whipped cream for 1 minute. Gradually add the vanilla extract and the second spoon of icing sugar, and whip until the cream is very thick.
Assembly
  1. Cut the remaining strawberries into cubes.
  2. Roughly crush the meringues in the salad bowl.
  3. In large individual cups, place some cream, coulis, strawberry pieces, and meringue pieces ending with a few diced strawberries on top.
  4. Serve immediately or keep for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator before eating.

Notes

  • Egg whites must absolutely be at room temperature. For delicious meringues: The day before, break very cold eggs and separate them. Reserve the egg whites in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and let them "age" overnight at room temperature.
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