Combining sweet, juicy strawberries, crunchy homemade meringue cookies, and fluffy whipped cream, this easy Eton Mess dessert is a delicious, gluten-free treat not to be missed!
Make the meringue cookies: Preheat the oven to 200 °F and place the rack in the center of the oven. Line a half sheet baking pan with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
Wet a paper towel with white vinegar or lemon juice and use it to wipe out a medium bowl to ensure there’s no fat residue. Place the egg whites in the bowl and beat with a hand mixer until foamy. Stir in the cream of tartar and salt.
Add the sugar a little at a time, beating after each addition, until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla extract and beat until the meringue holds stiff peaks.
If you’re using parchment paper, place a little of the meringue on the underside of each corner to hold it flat to the baking pan. Using two spoons, portion the meringue into 12 mounds on the baking pan.
Bake the meringue cookies for approximately 1 to 1½ hours until they are pale in color and appear dry and crisp. Turn off the oven once they're done without opening the oven door and let cool completely in the oven (about 1 to 2 hours) before removing the pan.
Prepare the strawberries: About an hour before you’re ready to serve, hull the strawberries and cut them into bite-sized chunks. Place the chunks in a small bowl, sprinkle with the granulated sugar, and toss very gently to coat. Set the bowl aside in a cool place to macerate for at least 20 minutes, until they begin to give up their juices.
Remove a third of the strawberries and set aside. Lightly crush the rest into a chunky compote using a wooden spoon or potato masher.
Make the whipped cream: Chill a medium bowl and the mixer beaters. Pour the heavy cream into the chilled bowl and use a hand mixer to whip to soft peaks. Add the vanilla extract and sifted powdered sugar, then beat the mixture until stiff peaks form. Chill until ready to assemble.
Assemble the dessert: Just before serving, break five to six meringue cookies into bite size pieces into the whipped cream (the crumbled meringue will soften if left too long in the whipped cream). Fold in the crushed strawberries with their juices, making sure not to over-mix. The whipped cream should be swirled with strawberry juices, rather than pink all the way through.
Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and top with the reserved strawberries. Or, rather than serving in a large bowl, you can also divide the mixed Eton Mess between four individual dishes. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Make-ahead instructions: Meringue cookies can be made in advance, stored in an airtight container at room temperature, or you can use store-bought ones. This recipe makes more cookies than you need, so you can have more Eton Mess another day!
Recipe Notes
Egg whites need to be absolutely free of fat to whip into a meringue. To make sure there is no yolk, separate the eggs over a bowl and dump the whites into another bowl (an egg separator can help). Also, wiping the mixing bowl with white vinegar or lemon juice prior to adding the whites helps to ensure there is no fat in the bowl that can inhibit the meringue formation. This step is optional but highly recommended.Superfine sugar (aka caster sugar) will dissolve more readily in this type of meringue than standard granulated sugar. You can make one cup of superfine sugar by grinding one cup plus two teaspoons of granulated sugar in a food processor for 30 seconds. If you use prefer to use granulated sugar, know that the meringue will be ready when you rub a little between your thumb and index finger and it doesn't feel gritty at the stiff peak stage.Fruit Variations: You're not limited to just strawberries and whipped cream! Here are some flavor alternatives to try (thanks to The Guardian):
Substitute 2 to 3 ripe bananas for the strawberries. Slice half and toss with the granulated sugar in Step 6. Mash the other half into a pureé and fold into the whipped cream in Step 9.
Substitute other fruit for the strawberries, like other berries, apples, or peaches, or plums. Hard fruit may need to be cooked down to a chunky compote with the sugar adjusted to taste.
Add a tablespoon or two of your favorite wine or liqueur to the macerating fruit and/or the whipped cream for an adults-only dessert.
Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon (or to taste) of spices to the whipped cream in Step 8. Try a hint black pepper for strawberries, crushed cardamom, cinnamon or nutmeg for bananas, and ginger for stone fruit such as plums.