Eton Mess Is the Cool, Laid-Back Friend Version of Dessert
In the 4.5 years I have worked at BonApp, I have campaigned for many recipes to exist on our site: a salmon burger that isn’t dry, ooey gooey butter cake, and baked ziti. But the campaign I was most passionate about, most willing to not give up the fight (see: mug cake attempt #4 of fall 2016) was getting a proper Eton Mess in the pages of our magazine and online. It has finally happened, people, and June 2018 has been a glorious month of celebration.
Eton mess is essentially a less-scripted trifle without the cake; it’s whipped cream mixed with strawberries and meringues. And yes, its origins do come from a certain British private school.
Why is this four-ingredient recipe worth so much devotion? Because it epitomizes everything I want in a dessert: under 30-minute preparation, varying textures, and the opportunity to be sincere when saying, “Oh this? It was no big deal. Really, it was nothing. No, really. Have seconds!” Let’s break it down:
Quick Prep
If you can buy strawberries, toss them in sugar, and simmer them on the stove, then you’ve got this. Layer the berries on top of whipped cream (yes, please, make it yourself) and store-bought meringues. That’s... it. Eton mess is essentially one more step beyond serving berries and cream, which is a great dessert already, but lacks any sort of complexity. Meringues—even store-bought ones—make it seem like you really went out of your way (I know, you didn’t, sshhhh).
Varying Textures
Each bite should have a combination of softly crunchy meringues with cream whipped to soft peaks so it remains a tiny bit loose. In this particular recipe, half of the strawberries are cooked for about 25 minutes, and the other half are mixed in after—so some are mushy and others retain a bit of give. Three ingredients, four textures.
It’s No Big Deal
There’s something about fresh whipped cream that really impresses people. It seems so elegant, so refined, so... not from a $2 carton at the grocery store. Ditto with the strawberries: Even if the ones you have aren’t the best quality, since you’re mixing them with sugar, it... doesn’t reallyyyy matter. Let the dinner guests think you put together something complicated. They don’t need to see that plastic clamshell of meringues sitting on your counter or the bruises on your berries. Whipped cream hides everything.
Get the recipe:
Strawberry Eton Mess
