Our Catering & Hospitality Managing Consultant Diana Cheal has kindly provided us the recipe for the British classic ‘Eton Mess’.
Ingredients:
- 4 egg whites
- 220g caster sugar
- Pint double cream
- 1tbsp icing sugar, sifted
- Mixture of berries - traditionally this is strawberries (hand in hand with the strawberries & cream) but feel free to add raspberries, blueberries and any other fruit.
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 110-120 degrees c (GM 2).
2. Make sure the bowl is totally clean and grease free. Do the same with the whisk. I prefer to use a ceramic bowl, but metal bowls are also good.
3. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peak.
4. Add half of the sugar, tablespoon by tablespoon. Each time ensure that the sugar is mixed in. Then add in the remaining sugar to the egg white mixture. This can be folded (stirred in) using a metal spoon. Don't over whisk at this bottom, as the egg whites can turn to cotton wool. The mixture should be at stiff peak, so much so, you can place over your head upside down and the mixture won't fall out!
5. Place dessert spoon dollops of the meringue on a lined baking tray. Spread them out so they can cook. They don't have to be neat as you will bash them up later!
6. Bake for about 1.5 hours or until the meringues come off the baking sheet easily. This time can vary!
7. Place the meringues on a cooling tray until cooled.
8. Meanwhile whisk the cream with the icing sugar (the icing sugar is to sweeten it). Be careful not to over whip. If you do, add a bit of milk and stir and it will bring the cream back!
9. Hull and chop the strawberries and add to the cream mixture.
10. Add the meringues to the cream mixture and stir. Only add the meringues just before serving as they have a tendency to dissolve!
11. For colour, you can streak a raspberry/strawberry coulis through the cream.
12. A good alternative to cream if you are dairy free is to use a blend of coconut yoghurt and coconut cream. Add icing sugar to this to avoid the tartness!
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