Eton Mess
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 2 punnets fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
  • 1 lemon, juiced and zested
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 40 ml vodka
  • 2 tbsp white sugar
  • 1 ½ tbsp caster sugar
  • ¼ vanilla bean, seeds scraped
  • For the meringue:
  • • ¼ cup icing sugar
  • • 450 g caster sugar
  • • 250 g egg whites
  • • 1 lemon, zested
Instructions
  1. For the meringue, warm up your oven to 120 degrees C and line baking trays with baking paper.
  2. Place the egg whites in a heatproof bowl and place it on a larger pan with simmering water.
  3. Whisk in the caster sugar with a handheld whisk, for 5-7 minutes until it dissolves completely and remove from heat.
  4. Whisk further with an electric mixer at medium speed until the mixture forms stiff peaks and blend in the icing sugar until well combined.
  5. Fold in the grated lemon zest and drop small mounds of meringue mixture onto a prepare trays.
  6. Bake in the hot oven for half an hour or until the surface hardens but retain a soft interior.
  7. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
  8. Toss half of the strawberries into a blender followed by a good swig of vodka, lemon juice and zest, caster sugar and vanilla seeds.
  9. Pulse them into a smooth puree and pour it into a bowl.
  10. Stir in rest of the strawberries and leave in the fridge for an hour or two to chill.
  11. Meanwhile, beat the white sugar into the cream for 4-5 minutes or until they form soft peaks.
  12. Crumble the meringue drops into the whipped cream and pour in half of the strawberry mixture.
  13. Fold them briefly so that they are just combined and divide the mixture among serving bowls.
  14. Scatter more strawberries on top to garnish.
  15. Serve chilled.
Recipe by ToBeThode at http://www.tobethode.com/eton-mess-recipe/