612 612

Festive Eton Mess

Delightful dessert with crisp, soft, creamy textures and flavours that make a perfect ending to any festive meal.

Method

MERINGUE
  • 1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 110c and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
  • 2. Add the water drained from the can of chickpeas into a large bowl and use an electric hand-held or stand mixer to whisk for approximately 5 minutes until it's more than doubled in size, white and foamy.
  • 3. Add the white wine vinegar and whisk again for another minute. Slowly and gently start adding in the sugar, whisking until the mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks.
  • 4. Transfer the meringue mixture into a piping bag with a large plain nozzle and pipe 32 domes with 5cm diameter.
  • 5. Bake for 75 minutes. Do NOT open the oven! After cooking, turn the oven off and leave them to cool in the oven for at least another hour.
  • 6. These meringues should keep for a couple of weeks in an air-tight container, they can also be frozen.
CUSTARD
  • 1. Place ¾ milk into a large saucepan and bring to the boil
  • 2. In a large bowl mix the remaining milk, sugar, salt, corn flour, yolks and eggs, whisk to combine. Add the egg mix to the hot milk and cook over medium heat until thick and creamy.
  • 3. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
  • 4. Cover and refrigerate until cool.
  • 5. Meanwhile whisk the cream until firm peaks form, fold the cream gently into the cold custard.
  • 6. Place into a piping bag ready to assemble.
STRAWBERRIES
  • 1. Wash and top all the strawberries.
  • 2. Weigh ¼ of the strawberries and place in a high-speed blender with the icing sugar, blend to a puree and place in a large bowl.
  • 3. ¼ the remaining strawberries and add to the bowl with pureed strawberries.
  • 4. Add the chopped verbena or mint.
  ASSEMBLY
  • Line up 16 glasses or serving dishes, pipe 20g cream mix into each, top with 55g strawberries, 2 meringues crushed, 60g cream mix and lastly 10g strawberry mix to finish. Served chilled.