Eton Mess - Summer in a glass

Eton Mess, the classic strawberry and meringue pudding, is summer in a glass!   This delicious traditional recipe from Eton College used to be served at their celebrations on 4th June, just when English strawberries are beginning to come into season.  

The word "mess" correctly identifies this pudding.  It's not a neat one, and, frankly, the messier the better!   The strawberries should keep their shape, but ooze delicious juice, the meringues not ground to a powder, and the harmonious whole literally flung together.   The recipe below does four goblets, and you could also scale it up and serve it in a large cut glass bowl.

Eton Mess

Eton Mess

8oz/250g strawberries, hulled

icing sugar to taste

½- ¾ pint of double cream

2 handfuls of little meringues (all the misshapen ones!)

mint sprigs to decorate

Keep a few of the best strawberries for the top plus some little meringues for decoration.    Gently pulse the remaining strawberries with icing sugar in a blender so they are still chunky but not so far that they are totally puréed.  The strawberries should be slightly sweetened by the icing sugar, but not too much!    In a large bowl, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks.  Break in the rest of the meringues (large chunks, not powder). 

Spoon a small quantity of the strawberry mix into the bottom of the serving glasses, then fold the rest of the strawberries lightly into the cream and meringue mix.   Again, the aim is to still be able to see the different parts of the mixture – this recipe is all about imperfection!   Spoon the mixture on top of the strawberries, top with the pretty strawberries and a meringue, and add a sprig of mint.  

If you like this recipe, why not let me know how you got on with it?  I'm also on Facebook "Kate's Puddings" and Twitter @katespuddings.  My cookbook is on sale via my website www.katespuddings.co.uk