The only Eton Mess recipes you'll ever need (2024)

Whether its creation was a happy accident or divine design, this thoroughly English dessert is heaven in a bowl.

Nov 09, 2021 12:00am

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  • 35 mins preparation
  • 50 mins cooking plus cooling, standing
  • Serves 10
  • The only Eton Mess recipes you'll ever need (1)

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The Eton mess, one of England's best-loved and prettiest desserts, is an absolute joy to eat. Its sublime proportions of crumbled crisp meringue, softly whipped cream and marinated strawberries don't need further embellishment - the beauty of this delicate dessert is in its simplicity.

There are many tales about the origins of Eton mess: one involves an excited labrador sitting on a pavlova at an Eton ceremony; another, a bumpy car ride muddling a strawberry and meringue dessert en-route to an Eton cricket match. Better authority on the matter comes from food historians Robin Weir and Caroline Liddell. In their book Recipes from the Dairy, they write this most British of British desserts originated at Eton's mess hall in the 1930s. Back then it was served as a bowl of bananas or strawberries mixed with ice-cream or cream. The meringue was a later addition - and a very good one at that.

It's not an Eton mess without meringues, and the trick to making great meringues is patience. To ensure a perfect crisp crust, always leave them to cool in the oven after baking. And if you can avoid the temptation to eat them on their own, you can always make the meringues in advance: they'll keep for a few days stored in an airtight container.

In our recipe, we've used raspberries as well as strawberries. This sort of dessert is open to flavour variations, so be creative and use whatever fruit is most fragrant at the time. Apricots would be wonderful, as would plums, and any type of berry is good at Christmas time. And for a lovely fresh, slightly tart note, we've added a little crème fraîche to the whipped cream.

Whether they're folded or layered, when all the Eton mess elements are piled high in a beautiful glass serving bowl, this classic dessert makes the perfect sweet finish for late-summer entertaining.

Want more Christmas desserts?

Ingredients

  • 750 gm strawberries, quartered, plus extra to serve
  • 110 gm (½ cup) caster sugar
  • 200 ml thickened cream, lightly whisked
  • 125 gm crème fraîche
  • 55 gm (½ cup) pure icing sugar, sieved
  • Scraped seeds of ½ vanilla bean
  • 125 gm raspberries

Meringues

  • 100 gm eggwhite (about 3 eggs)
  • 100 gm caster sugar
  • 100 gm pure icing sugar, sieved
  • 15 gm cornflour

Method

  • 1

    For meringues, preheat oven to 120C. Whisk eggwhite and a pinch of salt in an electric mixer until firm peaks form (3-4 minutes). With motor running, gradually add caster sugar and whisk until thick and glossy (2-3 minutes). Sieve icing sugar and cornflour over, fold to combine, then spoon 8cm-diameter mounds onto oven trays lined with baking paper. Bake until meringues lift easily from trays and are crisp but not coloured (45-50 minutes), then turn off oven and cool completely in oven.

  • 2

    Meanwhile, toss strawberries and caster sugar in a large bowl to combine, then set aside until juices begin to seep (20 minutes).

  • 3

    Whisk cream, crème fraîche, icing sugar and vanilla seeds together in a separate large bowl until soft peaks form. Scatter a quarter of the strawberries in the base of a 3-litre serving bowl, spread with a quarter of the cream mixture, and coarsely crumble a quarter of the meringue over the top. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients.

  • 4

    Scatter Eton mess with raspberries and extra strawberries and serve.

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The only Eton Mess recipes you'll ever need (2024)

FAQs

What ingredients does an Eton Mess contain? ›

Eton mess is a combination of just three ingredients: meringue, strawberries, and whipped cream. Think of it as a deconstructed strawberry shortcake — crunchy meringue cookies stand in as a delicious alternative to cake, and instead of stacking, you get to toss everything together.

What's the difference between pavlova and Eton Mess? ›

The finished pavlova is topped with whipped cream and can be dressed with fresh fruit or lemon curd. An Eton mess exists somewhere between a fruit-topped meringue pavlova and a fruit fool, a fruit purée folded into whipped cream.

Why was it called Eton Mess? ›

The legend, as The Runnymede Hotel details, is that the dish was created during a cricket match at Eton College, a fee-charging boarding school attended by sons of the upper classes, in the 1920s. A strawberry pavlova was made to celebrate the match, but a Labrador squashed it.

Where can I get an Eton Mess? ›

ASDA Raspberry Eton Mess - ASDA Groceries.

What is the pink Baileys Eton mess? ›

Bailey's Limited Edition Eton Mess blends irresistible original Irish Cream with flavours of juicy strawberries & raspberries, meringue & whipped cream to create smooth and creamy drink.

What flavor is Baileys Eton mess? ›

Indulge in a delicious flavour mix of creamy meringue and summer berry flavours of strawberry, raspberry and blueberry. Baileys Eton Mess is best enjoyed over ice, poured over an Eton Mess, or a delicious Eton Mess Martini co*cktail for the ultimate summer indulgent taste of summer!

Why does pavlova flop? ›

Overbeaten egg whites: If you over-beat the egg whites, this can cause them to curdle and result in a pavlova that collapses after baking.

Why do you put vinegar in pavlova? ›

The acid will actually help stabilise your whipped whites too. That's why we add cream of tartar to our pavlova recipes. If you use a little more vinegar in the meringue, you'll encourage a soft centre and a crisp shell.

What meringue holds the best? ›

Italian meringue is generally considered to be the most stable of the meringues (which makes it suitable for making frosting too), but also, the most difficult to make of the three meringue types.

What does pop mean at Eton? ›

Pop. The body of senior prefects, more properly known as The Eton Society. Its likely origin comes from the fact that boys used to meet above Mrs Hatton's lollypop shop on the High Street, and 'popina' is Latin for a shop that sells food.

What do you call someone from Eton? ›

Eto·​ni·​an ē-ˈtō-nē-ən. : a student or former student of Eton College. Etonian adjective.

Why is Eton so special? ›

Eton has educated generations of British and foreign aristocracy, and for the first time, members of the British royal family in direct line of succession: the Prince of Wales and his brother the Duke of Sussex, in contrast to the royal tradition of male education at either naval college or Gordonstoun, or by tutors.

Where can I buy frozen Eton mess? ›

Specially Selected Eton Mess British Ice Cream 1 Litre | ALDI.

Do they wear top hats at Eton? ›

Eton has a unique uniform.

Although very traditional, the uniform has been modernised over time with each new headmaster, but still remains in the accepted style. Black top hats are often worn by Eton pupils, but are only usually worn for special events.

What country did Eton mess originate from? ›

Eton mess is a traditional English dessert consisting of a mixture of strawberries or other berries, meringue, and whipped cream. First mentioned in print in 1893, it is commonly believed to originate from Eton College and is served at the annual cricket match against the pupils of Harrow School.

Does Eton Mess contain gluten? ›

Eton Mess is an English chilled dessert celebrating long summer days at garden parties, picnics and outdoor gatherings. This naturally gluten-free dessert is a combination of flavoured meringues crumbled together with fresh strawberries, coulis and whipped cream.

Can you use double cream as whipping cream? ›

Rules for whipping cream:

The cream should contain enough fat, at least 30%. Single cream won't whip but whipping cream (36%) and double cream (48%) will. Thick cream and clotted cream don't need whipping, they have a different, heavier, smoother texture than whipped cream.

How many calories are in an Eton Mess? ›

A single serving of traditional Eton Mess can be a whopping 580Kcal and 50g of fat, where as my 'skinny' version is just 165Kcal and less than 1g of fat. This super tasty dessert is not only light on calories but it's packed with goodness from the fruit (antioxidants to keep us healthy) and yoghurt (calcium & protein).

What do you eat with double cream? ›

Serve double cream whipped or as it is alongside desserts, or use it as the basis for desserts such as mousse, crème brulée and cheesecake. Decorate cakes with stiffly whipped cream or use it to fill a Victoria sponge. Stir double cream into savoury dishes such as risotto or soup to add richness and flavour.

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