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Eton Mess

Ready in 25 mins

Recipe by Graham 

Is Eton Mess THE most British pudding of them all? It may have been invented by a bunch of public schoolboys, but Eton Mess works wonders for us all. I was first introduced to Eton Mess at Middletons Steakhouse & Grill , a beautiful old courthouse building, in Norwich, UK. that just happens to serve some of the best steaks in town! And what better way to end a great steak dinner than with Eton Mess. Meringue, mascarpone and fresh raspberries, what's not to like about this?

Eton Mess is a quick, crowd-pleasing dessert when made with shop-bought meringue. It's also a great way to use up broken homemade meringue. Classically Eton mess is made with whipped cream, meringue and strawberries, but you can add anything from a dash of port to a splash of ginger cordial for a twist, or try it with strawberries, bananas or pineapples.

Preparation Time

5 Minutes

Cooking Time

20 Minutes
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Ingredients for Eton Mess

If you are not familiar with any ingredients, please check our International Cooking Terms page.

Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements

To serve 6:

3 punnets (about 1lb) fresh raspberries
2 - 3 teaspoons raspberry liqueur (or Grenadine or vodka if you prefer)
8½ fl oz whipping cream
2 oz vanilla sugar
3½ oz caster sugar
9 oz mascarpone cheese
3 oz meringue nests (about 6 nests)

How to Cook Eton Mess

  1. First of all, make a raspberry coulis or sauce. In a saucepan place two of the three punnets (approx 12oz - 350g) raspberries with the liqueur, and cook on a slow heat until the fruits start to soften. Use a fork to roughly mash the mixture then leave to cool.
  2. In a large bowl, and using an electric hand whisk, whisk the cream with both sugars to nice soft peaks. In another large bowl, stir the mascarpone around to soften it, then fold in the cream.
  3. To build the mess, break and crumble the meringue nests into individual glass dishes and, in a very informal way, add the cream mixture with a slight stir, trying to make it look as attractive as possible but as random as possible. Pour over some raspberry coulis then top with the remaining fresh raspberries.
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
If you want to make this dessert sensational, just before serving sprinkle some popping candy (pop rocks candy) on the top and wait for the astonished reactions of your guests! (You'll need about 3 sachets of strawberry popping candy)