Mango and Blueberry Eton Mess
When I’m looking for a quick, crowd-pleasing dessert, there’s nothing better than Eton Mess. In the dog days of summer when you don’t want a hot oven to heat up your house, it’s a cold dessert that requires just a little assembling. It almost feels like cheating.
Fruit Variations
The tropical mango and burst of blueberries in this version add a nice tart-sweet note. You can layer in almost any fruit you prefer: Diced pineapple, nectarines, cherries. I also have a berry Eton mess recipe that’s out of this world.
Going with the tropical vibe, this incarnation uses a little dark Jamaican rum to help macerate the fruit. It’s completely fine to leave out the alcohol if you prefer. For that matter, if your fruit is ripe and at its peak, there’s no need to add the sugar, either.
Balance the Flavors
The whipped cream layered into this recipe isn’t sweetened since the meringue cookies are heavy on the sugar. It all comes together in a balanced bite of creamy, crunchy, sweet and tart. If you’d like to use store-bought whipped cream, no judgement here. But let’s be honest, it really is the only part of the recipe that you “make.”
Make Ahead
It’s not ideal to assemble this more than 30 minutes ahead of time since the meringues will get soft and soggy. Eton Mess is at its best with a little crunch in every bite. Each component can be made up to a day ahead, with the macerated fruit and whipped cream refrigerated and the meringues stored at room temperature.
Garnish with some dried unsweetened coconut or a sprig of mint, and serve immediately. Washing it all down with a glass of planter’s punch is optional.
Tropical Eton Mess
Ingredients
- 3 cups diced mango
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 12 meringues store-bought
- 6 sprigs mint optional garnish
Instructions
- Toss the mango and blueberries with rum and sugar in a medium bowl. Let the fruit macerate until soft and juices have accumulated in the bowl, 25–30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the heavy cream and vanilla in a medium bowl until soft peaks form.
- In six glasses, layer a crushed meringue cookie in the bottom of each glass. Top with 1/4 cup fruit and whipped cream on top. Add a second layer of crushed meringue, fruit and whipped cream.
- 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 fruit and whipped cream refrigerated and the meringues stored at room temperature.
The linens, silverware and serving pieces from this post can be found at Only On The Avenue.
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