My Very Eton Mess

Love that they call these (photo above) meringue nests, as if meringue are wee, fey creatures of the forest!

This is a dessert that falls under the effortless cooking category. Unless you’re making the meringue yourself, a very Eton Mess is an easy “pantry staples” dish, perhaps following after other pantry staples such as apricot chicken or tuna mornay?

Honestly, just buy individual meringues at the supermarket. I like to make things from scratch, but with individual meringues, unless the supermarket ingredients are a million-miles long, I couldn’t be bothered. Very simple then, to add fresh berries and passionfruit and whip some cream. Also, I used lactose free cream, which made this dessert both gluten free and lactose free. Huzzah!

Traditional Eton Mess uses only meringue, cream, strawberries and cherries, so stick with that, if you prefer. (P.S. I have an original poem about strawberries and cream here.)

The only thing that takes any time is making the strawberry and raspberry coulis – but the tartiness of this makes a big difference to the outcome, so absolutely worth ten minutes of your time.

Strawberries that in gardens grow
Are plump and juicy fine,
But sweeter far as wise men know
Spring from the woodland vine.

No need for bowl or silver spoon,
Sugar or spice or cream,
Has the wild berry plucked in June
Beside the trickling stream.

-Robert von Ranke Graves (1895-1985) from “A Ballad of Nursery Rhyme”, poem in the Public Domain

My Very Eton Mess

Fast, easy, pretty.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time:15 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 80 g meringue, either nests or large ie two small meringue nests per person
• 1 punnet strawberries (250g)
• 1 punnet raspberries (125g)
• 300 ml thickened cream (can be lactose free), if you like a lot of cream simply make extra
• 1 small tin passionfruit pulp (170g)
• 1 punnet blueberries (optional, if you want to add more fruit)
• 3 tbsp caster sugar

Instructions

• Set half the punnet of strawberries aside for decoration.
• Put remaining strawberries and raspberries in a small saucepan. Add a small splash of water and the caster sugar. Bring to boil, then cook on low heat until fruit is pulpy, about ten minutes. Taste, and if you prefer a little extra sugar add this now and dissolve.
• Whip cream to firm peaks.
• Assemble. Crumble meringue into bowl. Add cream, coulis, fresh berries and passionfruit however way you like it. Serve immediately.