Strawberry & Basil Eton Mess Recipe

Use up those extra meringues to make this delicious creamy dessert!

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Strawberry & Basil Eton Mess Recipe.pdf

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Ingredients for meringues;                                                     Ingredients for filling;  

The liquid from one 400g tin of chickpeas (aquafaba)      ½ carton vegan whipping 100g white granulated sugar  cream

1 tsp cream of tarter                                               6-8x large strawberries finely chopped

                                                               Squeeze lemon juice

4x finely chopped basil leaves + 4x extra whole leaves or sprigs for decoration

You will also need; two baking trays, baking paper, a mixing bowl, an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, whisk, spoon, optional piping bag, optional piping nozzle

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Method;

1.       Pre heat the oven to 100°c

2.       Line your baking trays with baking paper, this will make sure your meringues do not stick

3.       Use a sieve to pour the chickpea water (aquafaba) into a mixing bowl.  Save the chickpeas to use in another recipe

4.       Using the electric hand or stand mixer, whisk the aquafaba until it is all bubbly

5.       Slowly add the sugar and cream of tarter a little bit at a time while continuously whisking

6.       Keep whisking until the meringue mixture is thick and fluffy.  You should be able to move the bowl around without the mixture sliding in the bowl

7.       If using, add the piping nozzle to the piping bag and spoon in the meringue mixture

8.       Pipe approximately 18-20 3” diameter meringues by starting in the middle and swirling outwards as you squeeze the piping bag

9.       Alternatively, if you do not have a piping bag, you can just place small spoonfuls of meringue onto the baking paper

10.   Place in the oven to bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.  The meringues are baked when you can gently touch them and they feel crisp and dry

11.   Leave the meringues in the oven for another 5-10 minutes with the oven door left slightly open.  This helps the meringues fully dry and set

11.   Leave the meringues in the oven for another 10 minutes with the oven door left slightly open.  This helps the meringues fully dry and set

12.   Gently lift the meringues off the baking paper and place into an airtight tin.  If any moisture gets into the meringues, they will go soft and sticky

13.    Set the meringues aside until needed.  This recipe makes 4 Eton Mess desserts and the extra meringues will keep fresh in an airtight tin for up to four weeks

14.   Make the whipped cream by pouring the cream into a mixing bowl and whipping with an electric whisk until thick and creamy.  You can do this by hand but it can take some time and will make your arm ache!

15.   Make a crushed strawberry ‘jam’ by putting around half of the chopped strawberries into a bowl, along with the chopped basil leaves and squeeze of lemon juice.  Use the back of a fork or potato masher to lightly mash the strawberries into a ‘jam’

16.   Just before serving, assemble your Eton Mess desserts.  I used 4 tall glasses as dishes

17.   Roughly crumble up approximately 6-8 of your meringues

18.   Place a spoonful of crumbled meringue into the bottom of each glass.  Then add a spoonful of strawberry ‘jam’, a spoonful of whipped cream and a sprinkle of chopped strawberries

19.   Repeat the previous step, layering up the dessert until the glasses are full

20.   Place a sprinkle of chopped strawberries and a sprig of mint on top of each Eton Mess dessert to decorate

21.   Serve and eat immediately