Eton Mess

[Cloverjo]

I’m not a good maker of desserts. I’m OK at putting a decent dinner together, but my cakes are hopeless. Husband thought I can’t go wrong with an Eton Mess. So I’m going to try it. I’ve found a few ‘simple’ recipes but thought I’d ask for a bit of advice. I’m not going to make the meringue. That would be silly! Shop bought. But what about the cream? There’s an American recipe which specifies ‘heavy’ cream, which I guess is what we’d call double cream. Another includes mascarpone cheese. Any advice?

[bednobs]

just use cream. double cream

[Buenchico]

Aunty Beeb agrees that
(a) it's double cream ;
(b) using ready-made meringue nests is simplest ; and
(c) there no cheese involved
both here
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/etonmess_81082
and here
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/eton_mess_97585
I like the idea of adding ginger cordial though!

Delia does it the hard way (by making her own meringues) but still keeps it very simple. i.e. no cheese!
https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/european/british/eton-mess

[zebo]

Just use whipping cream, meringue and fruit. I whip the cream, crush the meringues but assemble it at the last minute otherwise I've found that the meringues 'melt' but I've used homemade meringues.

[gingejbee]

Let's face it...mascarpone cheese isn't much like cheese at all!

[Cloverjo]

Thanks everyone. Double cream and no mascarpone, then.

[jack daniels]

I use ready made meringues too, double cream as already suggested. I usually get fresh strawberries, cut them in half or quarters, depending on size & sprinkle some sugar on the fruit & let it macerate for about half an hour. The juice is lovely to drizzle on top & the fruit goes soft. I assemble just before serving. Hope yours was a success

[jennyjoan]

Cloverjo - I was given the recipe for a victoria sponge by one of the ABers, at the time she was called NoMercy but think is LCG.

Best recipe ever - so maybe next time you could try it - here goes

Weigh four eggs and match that weight with Bertolli spread, self raising flour and ordinary granulated sugar - eg ten ounces of each

Pre heat oven to gas mark 6

Cream/whisk the Bertolli until pale and fluffy Gradually add all the sugar whilst continuing to whisk. Whisk in one egg at a time before finally sifting in the flour in 3 stages. Once the flour is added add one teaspoon of vanilla extract and whisk until all combined but don’t over whisk at that point.


Transfer to greased and lined baking tins and place in centre of oven for 34 minutes


Do not open oven door during cooking time


Hope which recipe you go with works well for you.

[AuntPollyGrey]

Another easy dessert with no baking.

Melt 4 oz of butter in a pan add 8 ozs crushed digestive biscuits and press into a shallow dish. Put in fridge to cool.

Mix one can of sweetened condensed (not evaporated) milk with the same amount of double cream and the rind and juice of two lemons. Spread this on the biscuit mix and chill.

The lemon juice sets the milk /cream mixture its very much like the texture of Key Lime Pie.

You can do individual ones the same way

[DTCwordfan]

Meringues are dead easy to make as per jenny/LCG - tips include (i) the oven as low as you can make it, the oven clean too - and, yes, do not open the door. Cook for the hour and then just let it cool in there. (ii) whisk the egg whites and sugar stiffer than you would think - a metal bowl is better - the old trick is so stiff that they won't fall out of the bowl when you put it over your head. Some folk say add a drop of vinegar, or cornstarch - not necessary, the cornstarch serves to make them a little more 'caramel' in colour. A drop of vanilla essence if you wish.
(iii) don't bother with piping or spoon work at the moment - onto grease paper on a tray and shape into a rough circle and there you are, bingo. (And they taste better than shop made s..t).

[Tilly2]

Oh, Aunt Polly, that sounds really lovely. I'm going to try that.

[zebo]

Don't try to whisk eggs that have been in the fridge and also however clean your mixing bowl seems, wash it, the slightest bit of grease can stop whites peaking.
A lovely meringue dessert is Nigella's cappuccino meringue, just needs a little bit more effort.

[DTCwordfan]

Clover, the other tip I have is to have one of these in your kitchen armoury https://media.nisbets.com/asset/en/category/grid_large/9434.jpg

They aren't expensive and they are brilliant for extracting the juices out of fruit/veg whatever....in Eton Mess for a lovely raspberry coulis. I use the 2nd finest gauge and then lightly scrape the underside of the disc just to add a little more texture (as I do with soups on the coarser discs for soups or purees. They're also a great back-up strainer....!

[Cloverjo]

Thanks for the extra tips, everyone.
DTC, I used to have one of those things, but I think I gave it away.

[DTCwordfan]

clover - aaaaargh - as in https://images.saatchiart.com/saatchi/514895/art/1854771/992742-JVTLBTPM-7.jpg

[Cloverjo]

DTC, yup, as always. Something’s hanging around unused for ages then when you chuck it out you want it.
Like jigsaws.

[DTCwordfan]

I've just used mine on making chicken stock and extracting the 'juice'...I left a humengous chilli in the casserole and that went to the Moulis as well - and now I have a lovely, fiery container of stock icing down in the deep freeze for future use in risottos etc...

[pastafreak]

This is similar to a recipe a friend made. It's American so instead of Oreos for the base, I'd use any good quality chocolate biscuits...like M and S.



There are also baked versions...no base, just eggs, choc, cream and butter.