Eton Mess
By Eric HaesslerPublished on April 3, 2023
Time
2¼ hours, plus 1 hour 20 minutes cooling
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Meringue
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) sugar 1 teaspoon cornstarch 2 large egg whites ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch table saltStrawberries
1½ pounds (680 grams) strawberries, hulled and quartered (4½ cups), divided3 tablespoons sugar, divided1 tablespoon lemon juiceWhipped Cream
1½ cups heavy cream, chilled1 tablespoon sugarBefore You Begin
Use a pastry bag with a ½-inch plain round tip or a large zipper-lock bag with a corner snipped off to create a ½-inch opening. Do not open the oven door until it's time to check the meringue; if it isn't done, check again in 20 minutes. Serve promptly after assembling.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine sugar and cornstarch in small bowl.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites, vanilla, and salt on high speed until frothy, 20 to 30 seconds. Reduce speed to medium and slowly add sugar mixture in steady stream down side of mixer bowl (process should take about 15 seconds). Stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl. Return mixer to high speed and beat until glossy, stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Transfer meringue to pastry bag fitted with ½-inch plain tip. Pipe ½- to ¾-inch-thick strip of meringue in zigzag pattern across width of prepared pan. Bake until exterior is dry, but meringue is still soft, 1½ hours. Meringue should be quite pale (a hint of creamy color is OK). Turn off oven and let meringue cool in oven until dry and crisp, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. (Cooled meringue can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 1 week.)
- Meanwhile, combine half of strawberries, 1 tablespoon sugar, and lemon juice in medium bowl. Combine remaining berries and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in medium saucepan. Using potato masher, crush strawberries in saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until rubber spatula drawn across bottom of pot leaves distinct trail, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add to bowl with fresh berries and stir until evenly coated. Set aside 6 coated berry quarters for garnish.
- Using clean, dry mixer bowl and whisk attachment, whip cream and sugar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until thickened but still pourable, about 30 seconds (do not overbeat; cream will thicken further when added to meringue).
- Cut meringue into 1-inch pieces, reserving any meringue dust and smaller bits. Set aside ½ cup meringue pieces for garnish and transfer remaining meringue (plus dust and bits) to wide serving bowl. Pour cream over meringue in serving bowl and stir to combine. Dollop strawberry mixture over surface of meringue and cream in 4 places. Lightly fold to just combine (this should take 1 or 2 folds; do not overmix). Garnish with reserved meringue and strawberry pieces. Serve immediately.
for the meringue
for the strawberries
for the whipped cream
Time
2¼ hours, plus 1 hour 20 minutes coolingYield
Serves 6Ingredients
Meringue
Strawberries
Whipped Cream
Ingredients
Meringue
Strawberries
Whipped Cream
Ingredients
Meringue
Strawberries
Whipped Cream
Why This Recipe Works
Eton mess, the iconic English mash-up of macerated strawberries, swoopy cream, and broken meringue, is considered a throw-together dessert, but taking care to balance the components makes their sublime contrast shine. To produce thoroughly, evenly dry and crisp meringue that was easy to break into pieces, we piped the whipped whites into a zigzag “snake” that maximized their exposure to the heat. We also baked the meringue very low and slow—part of the time in the turned-off oven's fading heat. Mashing and briefly simmering a portion of the sweetened berries made them jammy and concentrated; combining that mixture with uncooked chunks created complex strawberry flavor and consistency that rippled through the cream. It was crucial to drastically underwhip the cream because the meringue soaked up moisture from it like a sponge. Stopping well shy of soft peaks—the cream needed to still be pourable—ensured that it would thicken up just enough when the elements were combined.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
Use a pastry bag with a ½-inch plain round tip or a large zipper-lock bag with a corner snipped off to create a ½-inch opening. Do not open the oven door until it's time to check the meringue; if it isn't done, check again in 20 minutes. Serve promptly after assembling.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine sugar and cornstarch in small bowl.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites, vanilla, and salt on high speed until frothy, 20 to 30 seconds. Reduce speed to medium and slowly add sugar mixture in steady stream down side of mixer bowl (process should take about 15 seconds). Stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl. Return mixer to high speed and beat until glossy, stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Transfer meringue to pastry bag fitted with ½-inch plain tip. Pipe ½- to ¾-inch-thick strip of meringue in zigzag pattern across width of prepared pan. Bake until exterior is dry, but meringue is still soft, 1½ hours. Meringue should be quite pale (a hint of creamy color is OK). Turn off oven and let meringue cool in oven until dry and crisp, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. (Cooled meringue can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 1 week.)
- Meanwhile, combine half of strawberries, 1 tablespoon sugar, and lemon juice in medium bowl. Combine remaining berries and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in medium saucepan. Using potato masher, crush strawberries in saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until rubber spatula drawn across bottom of pot leaves distinct trail, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add to bowl with fresh berries and stir until evenly coated. Set aside 6 coated berry quarters for garnish.
- Using clean, dry mixer bowl and whisk attachment, whip cream and sugar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until thickened but still pourable, about 30 seconds (do not overbeat; cream will thicken further when added to meringue).
- Cut meringue into 1-inch pieces, reserving any meringue dust and smaller bits. Set aside ½ cup meringue pieces for garnish and transfer remaining meringue (plus dust and bits) to wide serving bowl. Pour cream over meringue in serving bowl and stir to combine. Dollop strawberry mixture over surface of meringue and cream in 4 places. Lightly fold to just combine (this should take 1 or 2 folds; do not overmix). Garnish with reserved meringue and strawberry pieces. Serve immediately.
for the meringue
for the strawberries
for the whipped cream
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