Bits of meringue, sliced and puréed strawberries and whipped cream combine in this sweet and decadent dessert.
Meringues served with strawberries and whipped cream is a fine summer dessert. You can present it elegantly, too. Where a single serving size, perfectly piped meringues are set on a dessert plates and decadently topped with the cream, berries and a garnish, such as edible flowers.
If that’s too much fuss for you, though, there is another way to combine meringues, strawberries and cream, and that is to literally make a “mess” with them.
I am, of course, referring to an English-style dessert called Eton mess. Lore suggests it got that name as a result of a strawberry, meringue and cream pudding being dropped at a cricket match at Eton College in England in the late 19th century.
Rather than waste it, the story goes that the now mashed up meringue mixture was scooped up and served in individual bowls and a dessert now known as Eton mess was born.
When reviewing recipes for it, you’ll find variations on how it’s made. But most, including mine, combine and/or layer broken bits of meringue, sliced and puréed strawberries and whipped cream, in decorative glasses or clear serving dishes. It’s a pretty summer dessert and wonderful way to use local strawberries.
Bits of meringue, sliced and puréed strawberries and whipped cream combine in this sweet and decadent dessert.
Preparationtime: 30 minutes
Cooking time:60 to 75 minutes
Makes:six servings
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup berry (extra-fine) sugar (see Note)
3 cups hulled, halved, and thinly sliced strawberries (divided; see Note)
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp icing sugar (divided)
1 (2 cup/473 mL) container whipping cream
6 small, whole strawberries, for garnish
To make meringues, preheat oven to 225 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whipping attachment (see Eric’s options). Whip whites until very soft peaks form. Now gradually add the berry sugar, whipping constantly, until all is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and then whip a few minutes more, until stiff peaks form.
Spoon and mound eight, about 1/3 cup each, 2 1/2-inch wide, dollops of meringue on the baking sheet, leaving a three-inch space between each one. Bake meringues 60 to 75 minutes, until firm and set. Turn off the oven, and then open the oven door a few inches. Now let meringues cool completely in the open oven.
Store meringues, not touching, in an airtight container and keep at room temperature until needed. They can be made a day or two in advance.
To make the Eton messes, place half the sliced strawberries and 2 tsp icing sugar in a food processor and pulse until pureed. Transfer the puréed strawberries to a mixing bowl and mix the remaining sliced strawberries.
Beat whipping cream with the remaining 1 Tbsp icing sugar until medium peaks form. Break the meringues into 1/2-inch or so pieces and fold them into the whipped cream.
Set out six decorative, 1-cup capacity glasses. Starting and ending with the strawberry mixture, layer some of it in each glass with the cream/meringue mixture, creating three layers of each mixture (see Eric options). Garnish the top of each Eton mess with a small whole strawberry and serve (see Eric options).
Note:Berry (extra-fine) sugar is sold in the baking aisle of grocery stores. It’s great for meringue because it more easily dissolves into the egg whites. Two pints of strawberries should yield the sliced or whole fruit needed here.
Eric’s options:If you don’t have a stand mixer, you could use a stainless, copper or glass bowl and electric hand mixer to make the meringue. Instead of layering the strawberries and cream/meringue mixtures in the glasses, you could, less fussily, fold the strawberries into whipping cream/meringue mixture, and then divide and spoon that mixture into glasses. The Eton messes could be made an hour or so in advance and be kept refrigerated until ready to serve.
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Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.