I confess, I could probably eat this on repeat every day (hmmm, at least weekly, if not daily) all through the summer. But, I’ll settle for having it for gatherings and cookouts. Use whatever fruit you have, or whatever fruit you love. Layer everything in fun glasses or cups, or do one big bowl. This “recipe” is endless flexible, and the only real “caution,” is that it absolutely does better if you put it together last minute. So even if you’re taking it with you, just pack things separately and put them all together before you eat. It’s a wow, it’s light, and you don’t really have to cook. What more could you want?
I’ve included a recipe for the meringue cookies, but store bought really is fine here!
Deconstructed Eton Mess
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454g) strawberries, washed, hulled, and quartered
- 8 ounces (227g) raspberries
- 8 ounces (227g) blueberries
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (1 ounce; 30g)
- 7 ounces (200g) homemade meringue cookies (As Ina would say, “store bought is fine,” but I’ll add- I never see the ones in the store, and it’s super easy to whip up your own)
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (28g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use my homemade vanilla paste, and it definitely adds a little something)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (use less by half if you’re using regular table salt.
In a medium bowl, toss berries with sugar to evenly coat. Set aside.
Place meringues in a zip-top bag and, using a rolling pin, break them up so you have different sized pieces.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt on medium speed until soft, medium sized peaks form, about 4 minutes.
Cover the bottoms of four glasses or dishes with a couple of tablespoons of prepared berries. Top with a layer of whipped cream, followed your broken meringue cookies. Repeat until glasses are full. No time or want more of a “family style” situation? Use a trifle dish or other type of glass bowl, and just follow the same directions on a larger scale. You really cannot go wrong with this one!
You can also add…lemon zest, peaches, any kind of berries…just about anything else you can dream up!
Stay cool out there and enjoy!
