A Super Simple Dessert
Eton Mess is one of the easiest desserts out there. Layers of broken meringue cookies, berries and whipped cream make for a creamy, tangy dessert. Eton Mess is served at an annual cricket match between Eton and Harrow School. I stumbled upon Eton Mess one day while flipping through Bon Appetit and knew it was the perfect lazy dessert for me.
Sure, you could make your own meringue cookies, but I just buy mine at Trader Joe’s. I do whip my own heavy cream with a touch of added vanilla extract, which takes all of two minutes to make with a handheld mixer. You could also use your favorite store bought whipped cream if you’re really short on time and energy.
I’ve used raspberries here, mixed with a splash of Prosecco and a little sugar to help them macerate and break down. Feel free to leave the Prosecco out. You don’t need to replace it with a different liquid, just give the berries time to break down in the sugar. And use any berry you prefer, or even finely diced mango or stone fruit.
On my most recent cooking retreat at The Vintage Round Top we made this for dessert. I realized much too late in the game that I had packed almond extract instead of vanilla extract. We added it to the whipped cream anyway and the finished product had a delightful nutty flavor. It was one of the seemingly endless variations of Eton Mess.
Eton Mess
Ingredients
- 2 pints raspberries
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup Prosecco
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 meringue cookies
Instructions
- Toss the berries with sugar and Prosecco in a medium bowl. Let the berries macerate until they are soft and juices have accumulated in the bowl, 25–30 minutes. Stir occasionally and mash slightly with a fork to release the juices.
- In a medium bowl, whip the heavy cream and vanilla until soft peaks form.
- Layer a crushed meringue cookie in the bottom of each glass, then layer 2 heaping tablespoons berries and whipped cream on top. Can be made 20-30 minutes ahead and chilled in the glasses. Or each component can be made up to a day ahead, with the berries and whipped cream refrigerated and the meringues stored at room temperature.
Amy Formby- MacDougall
Eton Mess is a MacDougall FAVORITE !!!!!