Hello, anyone out there interested in making a mess?

Make an Eton Mess!

A wonderful mess of sweet crunchy chewy meringue smashed and scattered in between layers of freshly whipped cream, luscious lemon curd and fresh berries. A scrumptious cacophony of fresh, sweet, tart, creamy and crunchy delicious!

So what’s the story behind Eton Mess?

The generally-accepted story is that the strawberry, meringue and cream pudding was dropped at an Eton v Harrow cricket match in the late 19th century.

Rather than waste it,  the food was simply scooped up off the floor and served, smashed to bits, in individual bowls. They say Necessity is the Mother of Invention … wait… or is it Laziness the new Mother of Invention? 😀 

To me, Eton Mess is kinda like a deconstructed strawberry shortcake made with meringue instead of sponge. But don’t you think there is such beauty in its deconstruction … this Eton Mess is so pretty to look at and in every mouthful, a burst of flavours and textures that lingers gloriously on the palate 😊

Bit of trivia …

Did you know – in recent times, “Eton Mess” has often been used by commentators in the media to describe political infighting within the UK Conservative Party – over Brexit. The term Eton Mess was used due to the fact that a number of politicians within the conservative party were educated at Eton College.

Hmmm … those Etonian chaps certainly turned it around in the 19th century and invented a beautiful mess. Any guess if history might repeat itself at Brexit? 🤨

Whatever the outcome, I know what my preference would be!

Wanna make a mess? Then make this beautiful Eton Mess. Perfectly ruined. Splendidly delicious. Watch the video and make this wonderfully easy and simply divine delicious Eton Mess!

What to note …

Fresh fruits

Fresh fruit is the foundation of this dessert. Eton Mess typically uses strawberries. I like to also toss in other berries that are in season as they are great tasting with freshly whipped cream and lemon curd.

But why stop at berries? Passionfruit, pomegranate, even dragon fruit are wonderful options. A variety of fresh fruit makes for such a lovely colour palette, don’t you think? So keep them fresh and toss in your preference.

Meringue

Eton Mess is such an easy dessert to throw together, especially when you can get hold of pre-made meringues from the supermarket. However, it’s not easily available in my part of the world so I usually make my own.

The meringue is easy to whip up and this is a forgiving recipe since you smash and break the meringue into bits once it’s baked. The basic rule is to separate your whites well and make sure to use clean equipment.

Bake the meringues till golden and they will be crisp and crunchy with just a tinge of soft marshmallow chewiness. For more tips, check out how to make a perfect meringue in my Meringue Cookie aka Forgotten Cookies post.

Lemon Curd

The lemon curd is optional but if you can, don’t skip it.

IMHO, it gives that full-bodied zest and tartness which really notches up the ‘mess’ of meringue, fresh berries and cream. The delicious, creamy lemon curd makes this Eton Mess subtly tangy and perfectly tart!

Homemade Lemon Curd is easy to make. 4 basic ingredients and 10 minutes on the stove and suddenly you have luscious creamy lemon heaven in a jar. Check out my lemon curd or click the recipe vid below and check out just how easy it is to make.

If you are a lemon lover like we are, you may also fall in love with this Luscious Lemon Cake and Easy Lemon Ice Cream Cake.

#3 Storage

The meringue stores well for 3-4 days, well-sealed in an airtight container. Meringue tends to attract moisture and may become soft and sticky after some time. To crisp, bake it in a hot oven for 5 minutes, then switch off the heat and leave for another 10-15 minutes for the moisture to dry out. And voila, it’ll be all ready to be ‘messed up’!

Did you make this ‘mess’? I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a review. Or take a photo and share it on Instagram or FB; be sure to tag me please @thesugarcrumble.

Print Recipe

How to make a beautiful Eton Mess!

Love this beautiful Eton Mess. Crunchy meringue pieces layered with lemon curd, fresh berries and whipped cream - like a deconstructed strawberry shortcake with meringue instead of sponge. And it looks and tastes simply divine. If you wanna make a mess, make a beautiful Eton Mess!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: 5 whole meringues

Author: Kai

Ingredients

Meringue

• 2 egg whites @room temperature
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Toppings

• 1/2 cup heavy cream, freshly whipped
• Lemon curd
• A handful of strawberries and blackberries

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 120C
• Separate the eggs when cold and let the whites sit out till room temperature
• Add the salt to the egg whites and whisk on medium until foamy soft peaks.
• Thereafter, gradually add 1/4 cup granulated sugar whilst continuing to whisk the meringue.
• Once the sugar is added, switch on high and whisk till the meringue is thick and gleaming with stiff peaks.
• Add in 1 tsp of cornstarch and gently fold in with a spatula until just combined.
• Drop meringue rounds (~7cm wide) on baking parchment.
• Bake at 120C for an hour until the meringue is lightly golden and crisp and lifts off the parchment easily.

Assembly

• Break the meringue into large pieces and drop it in a wine glass. Add layers of whipped cream, lemon curd and fresh berries. Repeat the layering until the glass is filled up. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Fresh fruits

Fresh fruit is the foundation of this dessert. Eton Mess typically uses strawberries and I like to toss in other berries that are in season as they are great tasting with freshly whipped cream and lemon curd.

But why stop at berries? Passionfruit, pomegranate, even dragon fruit are wonderful options. A variety of fresh fruit makes for such a lovely colour palette, don’t you think? So keep them fresh and toss in your preference.

Meringue

Eton Mess is such an easy dessert to throw together, especially when you can get hold of pre-made meringues from the supermarket. However, it’s not easily available in my part of the world so I usually make my own.

The meringue is easy to whip up and this is a forgiving recipe since you smash and break the meringue into bits once it’s baked. The basic rule is to separate your whites well and make sure to use clean equipment.

Bake the meringues till golden and the meringues will be crisp and crunchy with just a tinge of soft marshmallow chewiness. For more tips, check out how to make a perfect meringue in my Meringue Cookie aka Forgotten Cookies post.

Lemon Curd

The lemon curd is optional but if you can, don’t skip it.

IMHO, it gives that full-bodied zest and tartness which really notches up the 'mess' of meringue, fresh berries and cream. The delicious, creamy lemon curd makes this Eton Mess subtly tangy and perfectly tart!

Homemade Lemon Curd is easy to make. 4 ingredients and 10 minutes on the stove and suddenly you have luscious creamy lemon heaven in a jar. Check out the lemon curd recipe or click the recipe vid below and check out just how easy it is to make.

#3 Storage

The meringue stores well for 3-4 days, well-sealed in an airtight container. Meringue tends to attract moisture and may become soft and sticky after some time. To crisp, bake it in a hot oven for 5 minutes, then switch off the heat and leave for another 10-15 minutes for the moisture to dry out. And voila, it’ll be all ready to be ‘messed up’!