Classic Eton Mess

Name: Classic Eton Mess
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 cup heavy cream; 1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin and 1 teaspoon water, mixed; 1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced; ½ cup fresh cherries, pitted and sliced; 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar; Meringue Cookies, store-bought or homemade (recipe below); 3 egg whites; 2/3 cups white sugar; 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar; Pinch of salt

10/07/2019 by Catherine Pappas 23 Comments

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This traditional English dessert boasts of doubled whipped cream, crushed meringue cookies, and mix of fresh strawberries and cherries.

A lot can be said about today's recipe, but I feel this quote from Tuck Everlasting sums it up best, “Like all magnificent things, it's very simple.”

Summer's ripest fruit is layered with freshly whipped cream and homemade meringue. Chilled until ready to serve on a warm summer's evening- what more could you possibly ask for?

Eton Mess originates from Eton College and tends to be a celebratory dessert. It can alternately be made with bananas in place of strawberries, but any fruit can just about be substituted here. So matter how you choose to present it, what could possibly go wrong with fresh fruit and cream?

What separates this dish from traditional strawberries and cream is the meringue. Bits of airy meringue cookies are crumbled into the whipped cream and that is just absolute heaven.

So without further adieu, let's get started.

The recipe begins with homemade meringue cookies which are arguably the easiest cookie you will ever make. It only takes 3 ingredients, so if weather permits, always go the extra mile. If however, you prefer not to turn the stove on for 40 minutes in the heat of summer, store-bought will serve you fine.

Next, prepare the fruit. For today's variation, I added fresh cherries to the strawberries and tossed with a little coconut palm sugar.

The final step is whipping the cream.

I've learned two tricks over the years after whipping up many, many bowls of cream. The first trick is to always whip your cream in a chilled metal bowl. It not only helps speed the process along but also ensures the cream keeps its shape. The second trick is adding gelatin to the cream. In a small bowl whisk unflavored gelatin and water until the gelatin has dissolved and is liquified. When the cream begins to froth, that's when you add the gelatin. The gelatin helps stabilize the cream so it doesn't begin to weep.

Finally, it's time to layer. Alternate between the whipped cream, meringue, and fresh fruit. Repeat this process until each glass is full, then finish it off with an extra swirl of whipped cream on top.