Eton Mess with marbled meringues recipe
Royals have played many important roles throughout history. But we’re most thankful for their influence when it comes to food. So many delicious recipes were created for special occasions and ceremonies, or in homage to individual monarchs.
Many of those recipes made it from the long tables of royal banquets to our home kitchens, and some are still eaten today.
Eton mess is one of those. The first written record of this dish, consisting of crushed meringues, whipped cream and strawberries, dates to 1893, when it was served to Queen Victoria during a garden party.
Its association with the British elite runs deeper thanks to its connection with prestigious Eton College near Windsor, Berkshire. While there’s no record of this dessert originating at the school, it's widely known that a version of it – made with strawberries or bananas and served with ice cream or cream – was sold in the campus shop during the 1930s.
Bring a taste of royal history to your table with this easy-to-follow version of a true classic.
Things to note:
The dainty marbled meringues look stunning when topped with golden speckles of edible gold leaf. You can also use edible flowers to finish the dessert.
When making meringues, always start by cleaning the bowl of the stand mixer with a clean cloth or damp paper towel to ensure there are no fat residues in the bowl, as fat will prevent your egg whites from frothing up properly.
For US ingredients and measurements, use the drop-down menu and select 'Cups'.
Ingredients
- 175 g egg whites (approx 5-6 large eggs)
- 350 g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 drops pink food colouring (optional)
- 200 g strawberries, halved or quartered
- 250 g strawberry coulis or jam
- 600 ml double cream
- 50 g icing sugar
- 1 pinch sea salt (we like Maldon Sea Salt Flakes)
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Dessert
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 30 mins
- Cooking Time: 60 mins
- Serves: 8
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 110°C/100°C fan/225°F/gas mark 1/4.
- Begin by making the meringues. Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and turn the whisk attachment on to high. Whip the egg whites until they form medium peaks and then turn the speed down to medium.
- Slowly add the caster (superfine) sugar, a teaspoon at a time, allowing each addition to be properly incorporated before adding the next. You want the sugar to dissolve after each addition and the best way to check is to rub a little of the meringue between your thumb and forefinger – the mixture should feel smooth and not grainy. If it is still grainy then continue to whisk until smooth and all the sugar has been added.
- The meringue should now be stiff, voluminous, and glossy. Add the tablespoon of lemon juice and whisk again to incorporate. The lemon juice helps to stabilise the meringue.
- Line 2 large baking sheets with baking paper and use a little of the meringue mixture on the corner of the baking paper (parchment) to stick it to the sheet.
- Make small pink and white meringue kisses to decorate the top (optional). To make them use a piping bag with a small nozzle attached, then paint some pink gel food colouring up the inside of the piping bag with a food-safe brush. Then simply spoon some meringue mixture into the piping bag and pipe small kisses onto the baking tray, spacing them evenly. These small kisses take roughly 45 minutes to bake.
- Use the remaining batter to create one large meringue. For a marbled effect, add a few drops of pink food colouring and gently fold it throughout the meringue, stopping before it’s fully mixed. Spoon the marbled meringue onto the prepared baking tray. The larger meringue takes approximately 1 hour to bake. The best way to tell if the meringue is baked is if they lift very easily off the baking paper (parchment).
- Once all the meringues are baked, remove them from the oven, and allow to cool. Once cooled you can assemble the Eton mess. Lightly crush the large meringues and leave the kisses to garnish.
- In the meantime, pour the cream into a clean bowl and add the icing (powdered) sugar. Use an electric whisk to beat this to soft peaks. You can whisk this by hand, it just takes longer and a little more elbow grease!
- Finally, add the vanilla bean paste and the sea salt and fold through. The salt flakes are delicious here as they help to cut through the sweetness of the dessert and enhance the flavours of the strawberries and vanilla.
- Take a large trifle dish and start layering up – there is no right or wrong way to do this. Simply alternate between layering the softly whipped cream, strawberries, crushed meringue pieces, and strawberry coulis or jam. Finish the top layer with some peaks of whipped cream.
- Finally, garnish with some of the meringue kisses and strawberry halves. Serve immediately.
Recipe courtesy of Maldon, the British gourmet salt company.
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