Eton Mess With A Balsamic Twist
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| Lovely soft whipped cream, homemade chewy meringue and sweet strawberries, balanced with a touch of balsamic |
Simple Is Better...
In my opinion, this is one of the greatest British desserts ever made. It is simple and fresh but also lavish and rich.
Strawberries and cream were first served together here in the UK at the dawn of the 16th century and was originally prepared for one of King Henry VIII's banquets by Thomas Wolsey. Wolsey's court had a tennis court where the guests were served strawberries and cream, likely due to its ease in preparation for the court kitchen staff.
It is widely believed that this is the root of the English tradition to have strawberries and cream at Wimbledon although it wasn't until 1877 when strawberries and cream were served together at Wimbledon.
It makes sense then that in around 1890 Eton Mess started being served at Eton College. It was, and still is, the most prestigious college in the UK, producing an astonishing number of senior politicians, high profile bankers and economists, entrepreneurs and of course, a long string of Prime Ministers.
With Tennis and Cricket being extremely popular summer sports and Wimbledon already having the Strawberries and cream, it makes a lot of sense for Eton to one-up that and mix it with delicious meringue. It was then traditionally served at the annual cricket derby between Eton and Harrow colleges.
It remains that way to this day, and although people make it with all sorts of berries now, only strawberries can truly honour the tradition of British summer with fresh strawberries and sport.
Although I can still put my cheeky balsamic twist on it...
Strawberries and cream were first served together here in the UK at the dawn of the 16th century and was originally prepared for one of King Henry VIII's banquets by Thomas Wolsey. Wolsey's court had a tennis court where the guests were served strawberries and cream, likely due to its ease in preparation for the court kitchen staff.
It is widely believed that this is the root of the English tradition to have strawberries and cream at Wimbledon although it wasn't until 1877 when strawberries and cream were served together at Wimbledon.
It makes sense then that in around 1890 Eton Mess started being served at Eton College. It was, and still is, the most prestigious college in the UK, producing an astonishing number of senior politicians, high profile bankers and economists, entrepreneurs and of course, a long string of Prime Ministers.
With Tennis and Cricket being extremely popular summer sports and Wimbledon already having the Strawberries and cream, it makes a lot of sense for Eton to one-up that and mix it with delicious meringue. It was then traditionally served at the annual cricket derby between Eton and Harrow colleges.
It remains that way to this day, and although people make it with all sorts of berries now, only strawberries can truly honour the tradition of British summer with fresh strawberries and sport.
Although I can still put my cheeky balsamic twist on it...
- Makes 4 servings
- Prep - 10 mins
- Cooking - None
Gather The Ingredients...
- 400g Strawberries
- 30g Caster Sugar
- 300ml Double Cream
- 50g Icing Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
- 3 Meringue Nests (Try my delicious homemade meringues)
- Balsamic Glaze (Recipe here)
- 400g Strawberries
- 30g Caster Sugar
- 300ml Double Cream
- 50g Icing Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
- 3 Meringue Nests (Try my delicious homemade meringues)
- Balsamic Glaze (Recipe here)
Get Ready For The Smell...
Right, this is a nice easy one and can be made in a jiffy.
Start by taking the stalks off the strawberries, cutting them into halves or quarters and sprinkling them with the caster sugar. This starts to draw out the juice and soften them although most of the sugar gets left in the bottom of the bowl before you serve up so doesn't make it too sweet.
Pour the cream, vanilla and icing sugar into your mixer with the whisk attachment on and beat at medium speed until the cream now holds a stiff peak.
Break up the meringue by crumbling it with your hands into a separate bowl, hopefully, you have some nice chewy centres on your meringues!
Now assemble in whatever order and quantity you fancy. Cream, strawberries and meringue, in a bowl, without worrying about neatness. The clue is in the name, Eton mess.
Once assembled, drizzle with a small amount of balsamic glaze and eat right away with a spoon, preferably in the sun with a cold cider.
Start by taking the stalks off the strawberries, cutting them into halves or quarters and sprinkling them with the caster sugar. This starts to draw out the juice and soften them although most of the sugar gets left in the bottom of the bowl before you serve up so doesn't make it too sweet.
Pour the cream, vanilla and icing sugar into your mixer with the whisk attachment on and beat at medium speed until the cream now holds a stiff peak.
Break up the meringue by crumbling it with your hands into a separate bowl, hopefully, you have some nice chewy centres on your meringues!
Now assemble in whatever order and quantity you fancy. Cream, strawberries and meringue, in a bowl, without worrying about neatness. The clue is in the name, Eton mess.
Once assembled, drizzle with a small amount of balsamic glaze and eat right away with a spoon, preferably in the sun with a cold cider.
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